Narrative:

Upon landing we pulled into our scheduled gate. There were bag carts on our left and a crj parked on our right. There were 2 wing walkers positioned on either side of our aircraft and a marshaller in front. I noted to the captain that the wing walker on our right (by the crj) was giving us a thumbs up. I continue to watch him as long as I could (until he went out of sight; about the last 5 ft). He never gave an indication; nor did the marshaller of stopping or even slowing down. We were then stopped; normally; by the marshaller. After shutting down the engine he (marshaller) continued looking at the right side of the aircraft. The jetway driver was subsequently unable to position the jetway up to the aircraft; so we were towed in by a tug. While looking for the ramp agents to tow us I opened my side window and looked out to find a number of agents gathered by the right wing. I then overheard an agent yell 'he never told them to stop.' they then towed us 2 ft; and I decided to go outside and see what was going on. Upon reaching the wing an agent told me we had hit the rj and put a slight scrape on the high lift device; our wing was undamaged except for a slight scrape on the position light lens. I asked the agent if the wing walker ever said to stop and he said 'no.' I asked if there were lines for where the rj should be; as we were parked directly on our line. The agent replied 'no;' and went on to say there are no lines painted; that they just eyeballed it. There were several maintenance personnel out by the wing and I waited until their inspection was complete. He informed me there was no significant damage; and our aircraft was ok for flight. In sum this could have been prevented had the station simply measured and painted lines as to where the rj's could be parked. 'Eyeballing it' does not work with such limited ramp space. The second line of defense; the marshaller; should have signaled stop if he had any doubts; but unfortunately he made no gesture whatsoever.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FO REPORTS CONTACT WITH CRJ WING DURING PARKING MANEUVER WITH WING WALKERS AND UNDER MARSHAL'S DIRECTION; CAUSING MINIMAL DAMAGE.

Narrative: UPON LNDG WE PULLED INTO OUR SCHEDULED GATE. THERE WERE BAG CARTS ON OUR L AND A CRJ PARKED ON OUR R. THERE WERE 2 WING WALKERS POSITIONED ON EITHER SIDE OF OUR ACFT AND A MARSHALLER IN FRONT. I NOTED TO THE CAPT THAT THE WING WALKER ON OUR R (BY THE CRJ) WAS GIVING US A THUMBS UP. I CONTINUE TO WATCH HIM AS LONG AS I COULD (UNTIL HE WENT OUT OF SIGHT; ABOUT THE LAST 5 FT). HE NEVER GAVE AN INDICATION; NOR DID THE MARSHALLER OF STOPPING OR EVEN SLOWING DOWN. WE WERE THEN STOPPED; NORMALLY; BY THE MARSHALLER. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG HE (MARSHALLER) CONTINUED LOOKING AT THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. THE JETWAY DRIVER WAS SUBSEQUENTLY UNABLE TO POS THE JETWAY UP TO THE ACFT; SO WE WERE TOWED IN BY A TUG. WHILE LOOKING FOR THE RAMP AGENTS TO TOW US I OPENED MY SIDE WINDOW AND LOOKED OUT TO FIND A NUMBER OF AGENTS GATHERED BY THE R WING. I THEN OVERHEARD AN AGENT YELL 'HE NEVER TOLD THEM TO STOP.' THEY THEN TOWED US 2 FT; AND I DECIDED TO GO OUTSIDE AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. UPON REACHING THE WING AN AGENT TOLD ME WE HAD HIT THE RJ AND PUT A SLIGHT SCRAPE ON THE HIGH LIFT DEVICE; OUR WING WAS UNDAMAGED EXCEPT FOR A SLIGHT SCRAPE ON THE POS LIGHT LENS. I ASKED THE AGENT IF THE WING WALKER EVER SAID TO STOP AND HE SAID 'NO.' I ASKED IF THERE WERE LINES FOR WHERE THE RJ SHOULD BE; AS WE WERE PARKED DIRECTLY ON OUR LINE. THE AGENT REPLIED 'NO;' AND WENT ON TO SAY THERE ARE NO LINES PAINTED; THAT THEY JUST EYEBALLED IT. THERE WERE SEVERAL MAINT PERSONNEL OUT BY THE WING AND I WAITED UNTIL THEIR INSPECTION WAS COMPLETE. HE INFORMED ME THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE; AND OUR ACFT WAS OK FOR FLT. IN SUM THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD THE STATION SIMPLY MEASURED AND PAINTED LINES AS TO WHERE THE RJ'S COULD BE PARKED. 'EYEBALLING IT' DOES NOT WORK WITH SUCH LIMITED RAMP SPACE. THE SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE; THE MARSHALLER; SHOULD HAVE SIGNALED STOP IF HE HAD ANY DOUBTS; BUT UNFORTUNATELY HE MADE NO GESTURE WHATSOEVER.

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.