Narrative:

On jun/mon/04 aircraft was scheduled for a c-chk wash. After pushing the aircraft off the gate, I drove to the wash rack. I arrived at the rack as the aircraft arrived on the hangar ramp. As I exited my truck, I noticed that the wash rack forward entry stand was parked on the j-line. I immediately went to move the stand. As I did this, aircraft entered the wash rack and started down the j-line. At no point had I motioned for them to do this. After pushing the stand out of the way, I climbed onto the pushback and began to flag the aircraft in. I did not see the stand positioned in the no parking zone. The #8 slat struck the stand at which point it fell over. The congestion on the hangar ramp is extreme to say the least. Since building the 2 new wash racks it has only gotten worse. Equipment is scattered about in a haphazard manner. To make matters worse, there is no safety envelope painted on the ground for the aircraft and no boxes painted on the ground for the equipment. The policy regarding driving onto the wash rack is rather confusing. It really depends on who the lead is on any particular day. I have heard several 'policy statements' such as 'it's ok to drive on if the hangar doors are closed' or 'it's ok if no aircraft are hanging out of the hangar' or 'it's ok if you shut #1 down before turning onto the wash rack.' I have never seen anything in writing. Due to the bright lights from inside the hangar it is very hard to see equipment on the wash rack, when you face the hangar (such as when you flag in aircraft). The stand that was hit is painted brown with no reflective tape. It is very hard to see unless you stare directly at it. With the backgnd lighting the way it is, objects become nearly invisible. The wash rack was designed with a waste containment wall around it that conforms to the aircraft when it is parked. This left 2 'zones' over which the aircraft wings must move. These zones are open to the rest of the ramp and make convenient places to park equipment. After the last accident, they tried to address this issue by painting red stripes on the ground and marking the areas as no parking. This obviously has not helped the situation. The stand that was hit was an entry stand used for aircraft parked on the ramp next to the wash rack. It was pushed into the no parking zone so that the aircraft would clear it when taxied out. It feel that painting the ramp properly, clarifying policy and physically blocking the no parking zones will help with this situation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 BEING TAXIED ONTO A WASH RACK FOLLOWING A MARSHALER STRUCK AN IMPROPERLY PARKED ENTRANCE STAND. INCURRED DAMAGE TO #8 SLAT.

Narrative: ON JUN/MON/04 ACFT WAS SCHEDULED FOR A C-CHK WASH. AFTER PUSHING THE ACFT OFF THE GATE, I DROVE TO THE WASH RACK. I ARRIVED AT THE RACK AS THE ACFT ARRIVED ON THE HANGAR RAMP. AS I EXITED MY TRUCK, I NOTICED THAT THE WASH RACK FORWARD ENTRY STAND WAS PARKED ON THE J-LINE. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO MOVE THE STAND. AS I DID THIS, ACFT ENTERED THE WASH RACK AND STARTED DOWN THE J-LINE. AT NO POINT HAD I MOTIONED FOR THEM TO DO THIS. AFTER PUSHING THE STAND OUT OF THE WAY, I CLBED ONTO THE PUSHBACK AND BEGAN TO FLAG THE ACFT IN. I DID NOT SEE THE STAND POSITIONED IN THE NO PARKING ZONE. THE #8 SLAT STRUCK THE STAND AT WHICH POINT IT FELL OVER. THE CONGESTION ON THE HANGAR RAMP IS EXTREME TO SAY THE LEAST. SINCE BUILDING THE 2 NEW WASH RACKS IT HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE. EQUIP IS SCATTERED ABOUT IN A HAPHAZARD MANNER. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THERE IS NO SAFETY ENVELOPE PAINTED ON THE GND FOR THE ACFT AND NO BOXES PAINTED ON THE GND FOR THE EQUIP. THE POLICY REGARDING DRIVING ONTO THE WASH RACK IS RATHER CONFUSING. IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHO THE LEAD IS ON ANY PARTICULAR DAY. I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL 'POLICY STATEMENTS' SUCH AS 'IT'S OK TO DRIVE ON IF THE HANGAR DOORS ARE CLOSED' OR 'IT'S OK IF NO ACFT ARE HANGING OUT OF THE HANGAR' OR 'IT'S OK IF YOU SHUT #1 DOWN BEFORE TURNING ONTO THE WASH RACK.' I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING IN WRITING. DUE TO THE BRIGHT LIGHTS FROM INSIDE THE HANGAR IT IS VERY HARD TO SEE EQUIP ON THE WASH RACK, WHEN YOU FACE THE HANGAR (SUCH AS WHEN YOU FLAG IN ACFT). THE STAND THAT WAS HIT IS PAINTED BROWN WITH NO REFLECTIVE TAPE. IT IS VERY HARD TO SEE UNLESS YOU STARE DIRECTLY AT IT. WITH THE BACKGND LIGHTING THE WAY IT IS, OBJECTS BECOME NEARLY INVISIBLE. THE WASH RACK WAS DESIGNED WITH A WASTE CONTAINMENT WALL AROUND IT THAT CONFORMS TO THE ACFT WHEN IT IS PARKED. THIS LEFT 2 'ZONES' OVER WHICH THE ACFT WINGS MUST MOVE. THESE ZONES ARE OPEN TO THE REST OF THE RAMP AND MAKE CONVENIENT PLACES TO PARK EQUIP. AFTER THE LAST ACCIDENT, THEY TRIED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE BY PAINTING RED STRIPES ON THE GND AND MARKING THE AREAS AS NO PARKING. THIS OBVIOUSLY HAS NOT HELPED THE SIT. THE STAND THAT WAS HIT WAS AN ENTRY STAND USED FOR ACFT PARKED ON THE RAMP NEXT TO THE WASH RACK. IT WAS PUSHED INTO THE NO PARKING ZONE SO THAT THE ACFT WOULD CLR IT WHEN TAXIED OUT. IT FEEL THAT PAINTING THE RAMP PROPERLY, CLARIFYING POLICY AND PHYSICALLY BLOCKING THE NO PARKING ZONES WILL HELP WITH THIS SIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.