Narrative:

The aircraft was to be pwred out of the gate. The ramp area was tight and there were many vehicles moving on the ramp. The aircraft needed to execute a hard turn to the right out of the gate area to clear the wing and tail of the neighboring aircraft which was parked closely at the next gate. There were concrete barriers located at the wingtip locations. I followed the guide man signals as safely as I could and completed a large portion of the turn under his direction. It was a pivoting turn. I don't have a large amount of experience or 'local knowledge' operating in and around XXX. I did not execute the walkaround and did not have knowledge that the barriers were in their locations. We had a guide man and 1 wing walker on the left side of the aircraft. When the guide man gave the 'all clear' as he walked away and towards the left wingtip location; I returned a salute. The aircraft I believe was positioned on a 45 degree angle to both the alley line and the taxiway. From the past I remembered at other gates also located on the end of that concourse we execute a hard turn to the right and contacted metering without maneuvering to the alley. The ramp controller did not direct us to the alley line. We received a 'clear to taxi' from ramp. To avoid jetblasting the gate area and not to turn back to the left for the alley line; I felt it was safer to continue the right turn around. I did not want to turn back to the left because the tail of the neighboring aircraft was still close and I no longer had a guide man. I wanted to have the aircraft positioned straight out for a convenient departure of the ramp to the taxiway upon clearance from ground. Both pilots were clearing the area for vehicles but we had no way of seeing the barrier because of the pivoting turn placing it now inboard of the wingtip and most likely ahead of the wing. Continuing the turn around a little more; the barrier was now close to the fuselage and forward of the right main landing gear. I pulled up slowly and the right main landing gear came in contact with the concrete barrier. I was moving straight forward at this time; I believe; and braking to stop also. I felt a small 'bump' as the aircraft stopped. A truck pulled up next to cockpit and a man signaled that we hit something. We set the brake and shut down the aircraft to assess the situation. The event occurred because the guide man did not direct the aircraft out further from the gate area before giving the 'all clear' signal. It also was due to the fact that non local pilots have little or no training or knowledge of how to position the aircraft after leaving this particular gate at XXX. There are no directives in our manual stating procedures for this gate and there are insufficient ramp markings guiding the pilots' course of taxi. Supplemental information from acn 685526: I think in the future this can be avoided by providing better markings on the barricades themselves. The rampers can be advised to take all aircraft straight out farther before allowing them to make any turns at gates with limited space. There could be better taxiway markings on the ramp to provide obstacle clearance and a clear route for pilots to follow. There could be an insert added to the ramp information; warning all pilots of certain gates that require special obstacle avoidance procedures. Barricade markings could also be added to the charts in order to show barricade position at the gates.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FLT CREW CONTACTS A CONCRETE BARRIER WITH THE R MAIN GEAR WHILE TAXIING FROM THE GATE DAMAGING THE ACFT.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS TO BE PWRED OUT OF THE GATE. THE RAMP AREA WAS TIGHT AND THERE WERE MANY VEHICLES MOVING ON THE RAMP. THE ACFT NEEDED TO EXECUTE A HARD TURN TO THE R OUT OF THE GATE AREA TO CLR THE WING AND TAIL OF THE NEIGHBORING ACFT WHICH WAS PARKED CLOSELY AT THE NEXT GATE. THERE WERE CONCRETE BARRIERS LOCATED AT THE WINGTIP LOCATIONS. I FOLLOWED THE GUIDE MAN SIGNALS AS SAFELY AS I COULD AND COMPLETED A LARGE PORTION OF THE TURN UNDER HIS DIRECTION. IT WAS A PIVOTING TURN. I DON'T HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE OR 'LOCAL KNOWLEDGE' OPERATING IN AND AROUND XXX. I DID NOT EXECUTE THE WALKAROUND AND DID NOT HAVE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE BARRIERS WERE IN THEIR LOCATIONS. WE HAD A GUIDE MAN AND 1 WING WALKER ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. WHEN THE GUIDE MAN GAVE THE 'ALL CLR' AS HE WALKED AWAY AND TOWARDS THE L WINGTIP LOCATION; I RETURNED A SALUTE. THE ACFT I BELIEVE WAS POSITIONED ON A 45 DEG ANGLE TO BOTH THE ALLEY LINE AND THE TXWY. FROM THE PAST I REMEMBERED AT OTHER GATES ALSO LOCATED ON THE END OF THAT CONCOURSE WE EXECUTE A HARD TURN TO THE R AND CONTACTED METERING WITHOUT MANEUVERING TO THE ALLEY. THE RAMP CTLR DID NOT DIRECT US TO THE ALLEY LINE. WE RECEIVED A 'CLR TO TAXI' FROM RAMP. TO AVOID JETBLASTING THE GATE AREA AND NOT TO TURN BACK TO THE L FOR THE ALLEY LINE; I FELT IT WAS SAFER TO CONTINUE THE R TURN AROUND. I DID NOT WANT TO TURN BACK TO THE L BECAUSE THE TAIL OF THE NEIGHBORING ACFT WAS STILL CLOSE AND I NO LONGER HAD A GUIDE MAN. I WANTED TO HAVE THE ACFT POSITIONED STRAIGHT OUT FOR A CONVENIENT DEP OF THE RAMP TO THE TXWY UPON CLRNC FROM GND. BOTH PLTS WERE CLRING THE AREA FOR VEHICLES BUT WE HAD NO WAY OF SEEING THE BARRIER BECAUSE OF THE PIVOTING TURN PLACING IT NOW INBOARD OF THE WINGTIP AND MOST LIKELY AHEAD OF THE WING. CONTINUING THE TURN AROUND A LITTLE MORE; THE BARRIER WAS NOW CLOSE TO THE FUSELAGE AND FORWARD OF THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR. I PULLED UP SLOWLY AND THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE CONCRETE BARRIER. I WAS MOVING STRAIGHT FORWARD AT THIS TIME; I BELIEVE; AND BRAKING TO STOP ALSO. I FELT A SMALL 'BUMP' AS THE ACFT STOPPED. A TRUCK PULLED UP NEXT TO COCKPIT AND A MAN SIGNALED THAT WE HIT SOMETHING. WE SET THE BRAKE AND SHUT DOWN THE ACFT TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. THE EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE THE GUIDE MAN DID NOT DIRECT THE ACFT OUT FURTHER FROM THE GATE AREA BEFORE GIVING THE 'ALL CLR' SIGNAL. IT ALSO WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT NON LOCAL PLTS HAVE LITTLE OR NO TRAINING OR KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO POS THE ACFT AFTER LEAVING THIS PARTICULAR GATE AT XXX. THERE ARE NO DIRECTIVES IN OUR MANUAL STATING PROCS FOR THIS GATE AND THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT RAMP MARKINGS GUIDING THE PLTS' COURSE OF TAXI. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 685526: I THINK IN THE FUTURE THIS CAN BE AVOIDED BY PROVIDING BETTER MARKINGS ON THE BARRICADES THEMSELVES. THE RAMPERS CAN BE ADVISED TO TAKE ALL ACFT STRAIGHT OUT FARTHER BEFORE ALLOWING THEM TO MAKE ANY TURNS AT GATES WITH LIMITED SPACE. THERE COULD BE BETTER TXWY MARKINGS ON THE RAMP TO PROVIDE OBSTACLE CLRNC AND A CLR RTE FOR PLTS TO FOLLOW. THERE COULD BE AN INSERT ADDED TO THE RAMP INFO; WARNING ALL PLTS OF CERTAIN GATES THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE PROCS. BARRICADE MARKINGS COULD ALSO BE ADDED TO THE CHARTS IN ORDER TO SHOW BARRICADE POS AT THE GATES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.