 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
B737-500 flight crew is marshalled into a gate for which no aircraft specific guidance markings were available for their aircraft type.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 737853 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200705 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cle.airport |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9300 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 737853 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : company policies |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : 2 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Upon arrival in the gate area we noted that the line person and the jetway driver appeared to be confused. They were not ready to receive our aircraft. Once we got closer we saw what the problem was. There were no painted guidelines on the ground for parking a B737. I tried to talk to operations but no one answered the radio. The line person motioned to me that he didn't have a headset to talk to me. He got another ramp person to help and they decided where to park us. My first officer and I were able to determine that the gate area was clear so we proceeded slowly forward until signaled to stop. We should never have been given a gate without properly surveyed markings -- this is a very unsafe practice. At the time the other 2 gates in cle were occupied -- our only course of action was to either wait a long time on the ramp for them to move another aircraft (should have been done before our arrival) or proceed very slowly into the gate.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-500 FLT CREW IS MARSHALLED INTO A GATE FOR WHICH NO ACFT SPECIFIC GUIDANCE MARKINGS WERE AVAILABLE FOR THEIR ACFT TYPE.
Narrative: UPON ARR IN THE GATE AREA WE NOTED THAT THE LINE PERSON AND THE JETWAY DRIVER APPEARED TO BE CONFUSED. THEY WERE NOT READY TO RECEIVE OUR ACFT. ONCE WE GOT CLOSER WE SAW WHAT THE PROB WAS. THERE WERE NO PAINTED GUIDELINES ON THE GND FOR PARKING A B737. I TRIED TO TALK TO OPS BUT NO ONE ANSWERED THE RADIO. THE LINE PERSON MOTIONED TO ME THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE A HEADSET TO TALK TO ME. HE GOT ANOTHER RAMP PERSON TO HELP AND THEY DECIDED WHERE TO PARK US. MY FO AND I WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE GATE AREA WAS CLR SO WE PROCEEDED SLOWLY FORWARD UNTIL SIGNALED TO STOP. WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN GIVEN A GATE WITHOUT PROPERLY SURVEYED MARKINGS -- THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE PRACTICE. AT THE TIME THE OTHER 2 GATES IN CLE WERE OCCUPIED -- OUR ONLY COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO EITHER WAIT A LONG TIME ON THE RAMP FOR THEM TO MOVE ANOTHER ACFT (SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE OUR ARR) OR PROCEED VERY SLOWLY INTO THE GATE.
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.