Narrative:

Unable to contact station personnel for gate assignment during taxi-in. Guide person with illuminated wands visible upon entering ramp. Numerous aircraft parked on ramp perimeter during hours of darkness in close proximity to gate parking position. Fuel truck parked near parking location and appeared to be inside a critical movement area. The guide person did not indicate parking line location with vertical movement of the wands; but in the ambient light the line was visible. Upon line-up; the guide person gave conflicting; confusing; and unrecognizable parking guidance. I stopped the aircraft for this reason as well as the fuel truck mentioned above. Only upon flashing the taxi light did another ramp person approach the area and provide wing walking services for the closely-parked fuel truck. The guide person continued to give ambiguous and unrecognizable signals. I elected to continue in and park as ambient illumination provided a good reflection upon the parking line. The guide person's 'stop' signal was also incorrect but discernable. I set the parking brake and we completed the shutdown SOP's without incident. I proceeded outside to discuss the difficulties and non-standard procedures that we observed with the guide person. The guide person abruptly stopped me and stated that there 'was no confusion;' and; 'thank you; I don't want to talk to you.' I then left and inquired of the other ramp workers present who the 'lead' might be. Another ramp worker idented himself as the most senior. I explained the parking deviation from SOP and the resulting safety concerns. I explained that I would like to review my observations directly with the guide person; but that they weren't receptive. He stated: 'they don't care what you say. They don't care; and they'll just quit.' I stated that I should have refused to bring the aircraft in to the gate under the circumstances; and he responded with: 'fine; just park it out there next time' (motion toward the ramp perimeter). We departed for the hotel and on the way I called the duty manager reviewing the events. There is no doubt in my mind that the individual who attempted to provide parking guidance to me on this flight has either not been trained or has decided to ignore SOP. The level of situational awareness and lack of concern displayed by the senior agent on duty further suggests a lack of training; standardization; and even the most elementary concern for safety. Additionally; there is an absence of ramp markings that define the ability of vehicles to be parked in the critical movement area during the parking process. As an aside: 'captain's authority/authorized' and its application towards enhancing overall safety and operational control was disregarded and rejected by the ramp personnel.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW STOPPED ACFT WHILE PARKING DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF FUEL TRUCK AND CONFUSING MARSHALING SIGNALS.

Narrative: UNABLE TO CONTACT STATION PERSONNEL FOR GATE ASSIGNMENT DURING TAXI-IN. GUIDE PERSON WITH ILLUMINATED WANDS VISIBLE UPON ENTERING RAMP. NUMEROUS ACFT PARKED ON RAMP PERIMETER DURING HRS OF DARKNESS IN CLOSE PROX TO GATE PARKING POS. FUEL TRUCK PARKED NEAR PARKING LOCATION AND APPEARED TO BE INSIDE A CRITICAL MOVEMENT AREA. THE GUIDE PERSON DID NOT INDICATE PARKING LINE LOCATION WITH VERT MOVEMENT OF THE WANDS; BUT IN THE AMBIENT LIGHT THE LINE WAS VISIBLE. UPON LINE-UP; THE GUIDE PERSON GAVE CONFLICTING; CONFUSING; AND UNRECOGNIZABLE PARKING GUIDANCE. I STOPPED THE ACFT FOR THIS REASON AS WELL AS THE FUEL TRUCK MENTIONED ABOVE. ONLY UPON FLASHING THE TAXI LIGHT DID ANOTHER RAMP PERSON APCH THE AREA AND PROVIDE WING WALKING SVCS FOR THE CLOSELY-PARKED FUEL TRUCK. THE GUIDE PERSON CONTINUED TO GIVE AMBIGUOUS AND UNRECOGNIZABLE SIGNALS. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE IN AND PARK AS AMBIENT ILLUMINATION PROVIDED A GOOD REFLECTION UPON THE PARKING LINE. THE GUIDE PERSON'S 'STOP' SIGNAL WAS ALSO INCORRECT BUT DISCERNABLE. I SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND WE COMPLETED THE SHUTDOWN SOP'S WITHOUT INCIDENT. I PROCEEDED OUTSIDE TO DISCUSS THE DIFFICULTIES AND NON-STANDARD PROCS THAT WE OBSERVED WITH THE GUIDE PERSON. THE GUIDE PERSON ABRUPTLY STOPPED ME AND STATED THAT THERE 'WAS NO CONFUSION;' AND; 'THANK YOU; I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU.' I THEN LEFT AND INQUIRED OF THE OTHER RAMP WORKERS PRESENT WHO THE 'LEAD' MIGHT BE. ANOTHER RAMP WORKER IDENTED HIMSELF AS THE MOST SENIOR. I EXPLAINED THE PARKING DEV FROM SOP AND THE RESULTING SAFETY CONCERNS. I EXPLAINED THAT I WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW MY OBSERVATIONS DIRECTLY WITH THE GUIDE PERSON; BUT THAT THEY WEREN'T RECEPTIVE. HE STATED: 'THEY DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY. THEY DON'T CARE; AND THEY'LL JUST QUIT.' I STATED THAT I SHOULD HAVE REFUSED TO BRING THE ACFT IN TO THE GATE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES; AND HE RESPONDED WITH: 'FINE; JUST PARK IT OUT THERE NEXT TIME' (MOTION TOWARD THE RAMP PERIMETER). WE DEPARTED FOR THE HOTEL AND ON THE WAY I CALLED THE DUTY MGR REVIEWING THE EVENTS. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WHO ATTEMPTED TO PROVIDE PARKING GUIDANCE TO ME ON THIS FLT HAS EITHER NOT BEEN TRAINED OR HAS DECIDED TO IGNORE SOP. THE LEVEL OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND LACK OF CONCERN DISPLAYED BY THE SENIOR AGENT ON DUTY FURTHER SUGGESTS A LACK OF TRAINING; STANDARDIZATION; AND EVEN THE MOST ELEMENTARY CONCERN FOR SAFETY. ADDITIONALLY; THERE IS AN ABSENCE OF RAMP MARKINGS THAT DEFINE THE ABILITY OF VEHICLES TO BE PARKED IN THE CRITICAL MOVEMENT AREA DURING THE PARKING PROCESS. AS AN ASIDE: 'CAPT'S AUTH' AND ITS APPLICATION TOWARDS ENHANCING OVERALL SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL CTL WAS DISREGARDED AND REJECTED BY THE RAMP PERSONNEL.

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.