B737-700 flight crew stops their taxi to the gate due to improper marshalling procedures.

Attributes
ACN	696867
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	696867
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	696870
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Called operations on taxi in. No reply. Entered ramp; called operations again; delayed reply. No rampers; so stopped the jet short of taxiing in to the gate. Appeared that operations agent came out to marshall us in; but no wands; and no wing walkers. We held position. He finally went back into operations and we spoke to him on the radio and we informed him that he also needed wing walkers. He acknowledged. He brought out what appeared to the aircraft cleaners (inexperienced); one for each wing and still no wands. We held position. He tried using 2 orange traffic cones for wands; but no wands for wing walkers. We held position. He returned to operations and informed us that his rampers were gone taking care of a charter flight. We told him we would wait for the marshaller with wing walkers and wands. We called ramp tower to inform them of our situation. They said it was not a problem for them. The ramp crew finally showed up with wands and marshalled us in to the gate. The whole process took about 15 mins from ramp area to gate. Our suspicions were confirmed when the 'inexperienced' wing walkers came on board the aircraft and began cleaning it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 FLT CREW STOPS THEIR TAXI TO THE GATE DUE TO IMPROPER MARSHALLING PROCS.

Narrative: CALLED OPS ON TAXI IN. NO REPLY. ENTERED RAMP; CALLED OPS AGAIN; DELAYED REPLY. NO RAMPERS; SO STOPPED THE JET SHORT OF TAXIING IN TO THE GATE. APPEARED THAT OPS AGENT CAME OUT TO MARSHALL US IN; BUT NO WANDS; AND NO WING WALKERS. WE HELD POS. HE FINALLY WENT BACK INTO OPS AND WE SPOKE TO HIM ON THE RADIO AND WE INFORMED HIM THAT HE ALSO NEEDED WING WALKERS. HE ACKNOWLEDGED. HE BROUGHT OUT WHAT APPEARED TO THE ACFT CLEANERS (INEXPERIENCED); ONE FOR EACH WING AND STILL NO WANDS. WE HELD POS. HE TRIED USING 2 ORANGE TFC CONES FOR WANDS; BUT NO WANDS FOR WING WALKERS. WE HELD POS. HE RETURNED TO OPS AND INFORMED US THAT HIS RAMPERS WERE GONE TAKING CARE OF A CHARTER FLT. WE TOLD HIM WE WOULD WAIT FOR THE MARSHALLER WITH WING WALKERS AND WANDS. WE CALLED RAMP TWR TO INFORM THEM OF OUR SITUATION. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A PROB FOR THEM. THE RAMP CREW FINALLY SHOWED UP WITH WANDS AND MARSHALLED US IN TO THE GATE. THE WHOLE PROCESS TOOK ABOUT 15 MINS FROM RAMP AREA TO GATE. OUR SUSPICIONS WERE CONFIRMED WHEN THE 'INEXPERIENCED' WING WALKERS CAME ON BOARD THE ACFT AND BEGAN CLEANING IT.

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.