Narrative:

Incident: approaching the ramp area from the south on taxiway north; we were informed by operations that gate X would be used for parking. We had no revenue passenger or flight attendants onboard. We did have 2 mechanics with us that were asked to work on the B757 aircraft requiring maintenance at the next stop. I was taxiing the aircraft and made a right 90 degree turn off the taxiway to line up on the parking run-in line. This line was pointed out by the marshalling agent who had his wands raised indicating the ramp area was clear of obstructions. I turned off the taxi light as I started the right turn so as not to blind the ground personnel. The parking area appeared clear with no obstructions within the observable red lines. There was a crj parked just to the left of our gate; as I made the approach. That aircraft was parked on its yellow line and had several orange cones surrounding the perimeter of the aircraft. Wing walkers were positioned on each side of the gate area. The wing walker on our left side was standing at the wingtip of the crj. The marshalling agent was standing in line with the lead-in line and was positioned back in the recess of the building. The first officer and I both remarked at the close proximity of the crj to our left. Receiving proper wand signals from the marshaller; I slowed the aircraft below the normal gate approach speed and proceeded with caution into the gate. We both watched the left wing walker carefully until he was no longer in sight. The entire time I was receiving proper wand signals to proceed straight ahead from the marshaling agent. As the nose of my aircraft approached the jetway I felt a subtle unknown vibration in the airframe that lasted a couple seconds. I continued to receive proper come ahead wand signals from the marshaller for another 10-15 ft until given the approaching stop and then stop signal. Upon opening the 1L door we were informed by the gate agent that we may have had contact with the wingtip of the crj on our left side. I went down to the ramp to observe the damage. The wing walker on that side was in a conversation with several people telling and showing them the stop signal he said he was giving to the marshalling agent but was unable to get his attention. The left wingtip appeared to be scraped along the edge and the clear cover of the white wingtip position light was broken off. The crj had a cut and scrape along the base of the winglet on the right wingtip. The ramp markings with dedicated parking lines for these 2 aircraft set the ground crew up for the incident. The lead marshalling agent neglected to watch his wing walkers while directing the aircraft; allowing the incident to take place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT REPORTS THAT WHILE BEING MARSHALED INTO A JETWAY HIS ACFT'S WINGTIP STRUCK AN RJ'S WINGLET WITH NO WARNING FROM THE MARSHALLER.

Narrative: INCIDENT: APCHING THE RAMP AREA FROM THE S ON TXWY N; WE WERE INFORMED BY OPS THAT GATE X WOULD BE USED FOR PARKING. WE HAD NO REVENUE PAX OR FLT ATTENDANTS ONBOARD. WE DID HAVE 2 MECHS WITH US THAT WERE ASKED TO WORK ON THE B757 ACFT REQUIRING MAINT AT THE NEXT STOP. I WAS TAXIING THE ACFT AND MADE A R 90 DEG TURN OFF THE TXWY TO LINE UP ON THE PARKING RUN-IN LINE. THIS LINE WAS POINTED OUT BY THE MARSHALLING AGENT WHO HAD HIS WANDS RAISED INDICATING THE RAMP AREA WAS CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS. I TURNED OFF THE TAXI LIGHT AS I STARTED THE R TURN SO AS NOT TO BLIND THE GND PERSONNEL. THE PARKING AREA APPEARED CLR WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS WITHIN THE OBSERVABLE RED LINES. THERE WAS A CRJ PARKED JUST TO THE L OF OUR GATE; AS I MADE THE APCH. THAT ACFT WAS PARKED ON ITS YELLOW LINE AND HAD SEVERAL ORANGE CONES SURROUNDING THE PERIMETER OF THE ACFT. WING WALKERS WERE POSITIONED ON EACH SIDE OF THE GATE AREA. THE WING WALKER ON OUR L SIDE WAS STANDING AT THE WINGTIP OF THE CRJ. THE MARSHALLING AGENT WAS STANDING IN LINE WITH THE LEAD-IN LINE AND WAS POSITIONED BACK IN THE RECESS OF THE BUILDING. THE FO AND I BOTH REMARKED AT THE CLOSE PROX OF THE CRJ TO OUR L. RECEIVING PROPER WAND SIGNALS FROM THE MARSHALLER; I SLOWED THE ACFT BELOW THE NORMAL GATE APCH SPD AND PROCEEDED WITH CAUTION INTO THE GATE. WE BOTH WATCHED THE L WING WALKER CAREFULLY UNTIL HE WAS NO LONGER IN SIGHT. THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS RECEIVING PROPER WAND SIGNALS TO PROCEED STRAIGHT AHEAD FROM THE MARSHALING AGENT. AS THE NOSE OF MY ACFT APCHED THE JETWAY I FELT A SUBTLE UNKNOWN VIBRATION IN THE AIRFRAME THAT LASTED A COUPLE SECONDS. I CONTINUED TO RECEIVE PROPER COME AHEAD WAND SIGNALS FROM THE MARSHALLER FOR ANOTHER 10-15 FT UNTIL GIVEN THE APCHING STOP AND THEN STOP SIGNAL. UPON OPENING THE 1L DOOR WE WERE INFORMED BY THE GATE AGENT THAT WE MAY HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH THE WINGTIP OF THE CRJ ON OUR L SIDE. I WENT DOWN TO THE RAMP TO OBSERVE THE DAMAGE. THE WING WALKER ON THAT SIDE WAS IN A CONVERSATION WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE TELLING AND SHOWING THEM THE STOP SIGNAL HE SAID HE WAS GIVING TO THE MARSHALLING AGENT BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET HIS ATTN. THE L WINGTIP APPEARED TO BE SCRAPED ALONG THE EDGE AND THE CLR COVER OF THE WHITE WINGTIP POS LIGHT WAS BROKEN OFF. THE CRJ HAD A CUT AND SCRAPE ALONG THE BASE OF THE WINGLET ON THE R WINGTIP. THE RAMP MARKINGS WITH DEDICATED PARKING LINES FOR THESE 2 ACFT SET THE GND CREW UP FOR THE INCIDENT. THE LEAD MARSHALLING AGENT NEGLECTED TO WATCH HIS WING WALKERS WHILE DIRECTING THE ACFT; ALLOWING THE INCIDENT TO TAKE PLACE.

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.