Narrative:

We were being marshalled in to the gate in ewr. The marshalling agent and 2 wing walkers were in position. It appeared as everything in the ramp area was where it was supposed to be. The left wing walker was positioned to the inside of ground equipment in what appeared to be a normal parking position. The right wing walker was also positioned to the inside of ground equipment in what appeared a normal parking position. The marshalling agent signaled us in as normal and the wing walkers were both giving an all clear signal. The left wing walker was giving us an all clear signal until he was no longer in view from the left side window. We felt a slight bump as the marshalling agent signaled the aircraft in. The captain stopped the aircraft. There was never any kind of stop signal given by the marshalling agent until after the aircraft was stopped. A PA was made to the passenger and flight attendants to remain in their seats. After a few mins; the marshalling agent signaled us to continue parking. We recorded the aircraft damage in the logbook and terminated the flight. Supplemental information from acn 694864: with a tremendous amount of farming out or contracting services for airlines; training of ground service personnel is becoming an issue that needs to be addressed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE PARKING; DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF A MARSHALLER AND 2 WING WALKERS; AN MD88 STRIKES A WINGTIP AND IS DAMAGED.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING MARSHALLED IN TO THE GATE IN EWR. THE MARSHALLING AGENT AND 2 WING WALKERS WERE IN POS. IT APPEARED AS EVERYTHING IN THE RAMP AREA WAS WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. THE L WING WALKER WAS POSITIONED TO THE INSIDE OF GND EQUIP IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE A NORMAL PARKING POS. THE R WING WALKER WAS ALSO POSITIONED TO THE INSIDE OF GND EQUIP IN WHAT APPEARED A NORMAL PARKING POS. THE MARSHALLING AGENT SIGNALED US IN AS NORMAL AND THE WING WALKERS WERE BOTH GIVING AN ALL CLR SIGNAL. THE L WING WALKER WAS GIVING US AN ALL CLR SIGNAL UNTIL HE WAS NO LONGER IN VIEW FROM THE L SIDE WINDOW. WE FELT A SLIGHT BUMP AS THE MARSHALLING AGENT SIGNALED THE ACFT IN. THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT. THERE WAS NEVER ANY KIND OF STOP SIGNAL GIVEN BY THE MARSHALLING AGENT UNTIL AFTER THE ACFT WAS STOPPED. A PA WAS MADE TO THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS TO REMAIN IN THEIR SEATS. AFTER A FEW MINS; THE MARSHALLING AGENT SIGNALED US TO CONTINUE PARKING. WE RECORDED THE ACFT DAMAGE IN THE LOGBOOK AND TERMINATED THE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 694864: WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FARMING OUT OR CONTRACTING SVCS FOR AIRLINES; TRAINING OF GND SVC PERSONNEL IS BECOMING AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

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.