Narrative:

The flight and arrival in atl were normal and uneventful. On taxi in; I turned from taxiway D into the entrance to north on the taxi line. As I approached the turn in for gate; I observed 4 ground crew members huddled in front of the gate. Once they saw us; they dispersed to their assigned position; with 2 going to the wing walker position and 2 staying at the gate controling the light. I received a green light and an 'all clear' signal from the wing walkers. I proceeded to turn onto the taxi line and moved into the parking position at normal speed. As we pulled in to the gate; the green light was illuminated constantly and we received a 'clear' signal by the wing walkers the entire time that they were in view. Eventually; we received the yellow and then a red stop light; at which time I stopped and shut down the aircraft. I was then given a 'chocks in' and 'ground power connected' signal from the ground crew. Late in the deplaning process; a passenger mentioned that our wingtip had hit some portable stairs while parking. Since this was an international flight; we were not permitted onto the ramp to verify the situation. Out one of the cabin windows; I observed several ground crew and mechanics looking at the wingtip. When I boarded the aircraft; I ascertained that maintenance had completed a logbook entry and replaced the lens on the right wingtip light. The mechanic with whom I spoke reported that the right wing walker had apparently misjudged the clearance on taxi in and that the wingtip just clipped the top of the stairs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 FLT CREW HAS A GND ENCOUNTER WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE AT ATL.

Narrative: THE FLT AND ARR IN ATL WERE NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. ON TAXI IN; I TURNED FROM TXWY D INTO THE ENTRANCE TO N ON THE TAXI LINE. AS I APCHED THE TURN IN FOR GATE; I OBSERVED 4 GND CREW MEMBERS HUDDLED IN FRONT OF THE GATE. ONCE THEY SAW US; THEY DISPERSED TO THEIR ASSIGNED POS; WITH 2 GOING TO THE WING WALKER POS AND 2 STAYING AT THE GATE CTLING THE LIGHT. I RECEIVED A GREEN LIGHT AND AN 'ALL CLR' SIGNAL FROM THE WING WALKERS. I PROCEEDED TO TURN ONTO THE TAXI LINE AND MOVED INTO THE PARKING POS AT NORMAL SPD. AS WE PULLED IN TO THE GATE; THE GREEN LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY AND WE RECEIVED A 'CLR' SIGNAL BY THE WING WALKERS THE ENTIRE TIME THAT THEY WERE IN VIEW. EVENTUALLY; WE RECEIVED THE YELLOW AND THEN A RED STOP LIGHT; AT WHICH TIME I STOPPED AND SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. I WAS THEN GIVEN A 'CHOCKS IN' AND 'GND PWR CONNECTED' SIGNAL FROM THE GND CREW. LATE IN THE DEPLANING PROCESS; A PAX MENTIONED THAT OUR WINGTIP HAD HIT SOME PORTABLE STAIRS WHILE PARKING. SINCE THIS WAS AN INTL FLT; WE WERE NOT PERMITTED ONTO THE RAMP TO VERIFY THE SITUATION. OUT ONE OF THE CABIN WINDOWS; I OBSERVED SEVERAL GND CREW AND MECHS LOOKING AT THE WINGTIP. WHEN I BOARDED THE ACFT; I ASCERTAINED THAT MAINT HAD COMPLETED A LOGBOOK ENTRY AND REPLACED THE LENS ON THE R WINGTIP LIGHT. THE MECH WITH WHOM I SPOKE RPTED THAT THE R WING WALKER HAD APPARENTLY MISJUDGED THE CLRNC ON TAXI IN AND THAT THE WINGTIP JUST CLIPPED THE TOP OF THE STAIRS.

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.