Narrative:

Upon arrival; we were given signals by the guide man to taxi into a dimly lit; undefined area. The area was not defined by a lead-in line or marked by an envelope and was between 2 aircraft (a regional jet on our left; and a B737 to our right). It appeared that at one point there may have been lines on the tarmac; but they had been removed. The guide man was signaling us to enter the gate area approximately 15 ft to the right of the established lead-in line. I brought the airplane to a stop adjacent to the beginning of the established lead-in line and signaled the guide man I would not proceed without wing walkers. The guide man attempted to urge me to continue. I declined. I again signaled that wing walkers would be required. The guide man stomped off to find some help and came back a few mins later with someone to watch our left wing but nobody to watch the right wing. Furthermore; this wing walker was without a lighted wand; which I felt necessary for all involved to see him. Again; I declined to move and signaled the guide man that another wing walker would be required for the right wing and I lit up the ramp to indicate that lights would be required. Again; the guide man stomped off. Meanwhile; the first officer and I made repeated attempts to contact station operations to no avail. I finally called dispatch on my cell phone to try to reach station operations and the station manager if necessary to rectify the situation. About the time the dispatcher got a hold of operations (15 mins from our arrival at the gate area) the guide man showed up with 2 wing walkers with lighted wands to guide us in. We then proceeded to park with caution and without further incident. While no damage was sustained to the aircraft or personnel; I am deeply concerned by several factors: 1) there are no defined lead-in lines to what the agent later told me is a routine parking spot for overnight aircraft. 2) the guide man attempted to park me in an undefined area without a clearly marked envelope and lead-in lines without the assistance of wing walkers. 3) we were unable to reach station operations by normal means. This appears to be a total breakdown of company procedures by operations and I believe needs to be looked at by corporate safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPT STOPS ACFT AFTER ATTEMPT BY MARSHAL TO PARK HIM BETWEEN TWO OTHER ACFT IN DIMLY LIT; UNMARKED AREA; WITHOUT WING WALKERS.

Narrative: UPON ARR; WE WERE GIVEN SIGNALS BY THE GUIDE MAN TO TAXI INTO A DIMLY LIT; UNDEFINED AREA. THE AREA WAS NOT DEFINED BY A LEAD-IN LINE OR MARKED BY AN ENVELOPE AND WAS BTWN 2 ACFT (A REGIONAL JET ON OUR L; AND A B737 TO OUR R). IT APPEARED THAT AT ONE POINT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN LINES ON THE TARMAC; BUT THEY HAD BEEN REMOVED. THE GUIDE MAN WAS SIGNALING US TO ENTER THE GATE AREA APPROX 15 FT TO THE R OF THE ESTABLISHED LEAD-IN LINE. I BROUGHT THE AIRPLANE TO A STOP ADJACENT TO THE BEGINNING OF THE ESTABLISHED LEAD-IN LINE AND SIGNALED THE GUIDE MAN I WOULD NOT PROCEED WITHOUT WING WALKERS. THE GUIDE MAN ATTEMPTED TO URGE ME TO CONTINUE. I DECLINED. I AGAIN SIGNALED THAT WING WALKERS WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE GUIDE MAN STOMPED OFF TO FIND SOME HELP AND CAME BACK A FEW MINS LATER WITH SOMEONE TO WATCH OUR L WING BUT NOBODY TO WATCH THE R WING. FURTHERMORE; THIS WING WALKER WAS WITHOUT A LIGHTED WAND; WHICH I FELT NECESSARY FOR ALL INVOLVED TO SEE HIM. AGAIN; I DECLINED TO MOVE AND SIGNALED THE GUIDE MAN THAT ANOTHER WING WALKER WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE R WING AND I LIT UP THE RAMP TO INDICATE THAT LIGHTS WOULD BE REQUIRED. AGAIN; THE GUIDE MAN STOMPED OFF. MEANWHILE; THE FO AND I MADE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT STATION OPS TO NO AVAIL. I FINALLY CALLED DISPATCH ON MY CELL PHONE TO TRY TO REACH STATION OPS AND THE STATION MGR IF NECESSARY TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION. ABOUT THE TIME THE DISPATCHER GOT A HOLD OF OPS (15 MINS FROM OUR ARR AT THE GATE AREA) THE GUIDE MAN SHOWED UP WITH 2 WING WALKERS WITH LIGHTED WANDS TO GUIDE US IN. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO PARK WITH CAUTION AND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WHILE NO DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE ACFT OR PERSONNEL; I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED BY SEVERAL FACTORS: 1) THERE ARE NO DEFINED LEAD-IN LINES TO WHAT THE AGENT LATER TOLD ME IS A ROUTINE PARKING SPOT FOR OVERNIGHT ACFT. 2) THE GUIDE MAN ATTEMPTED TO PARK ME IN AN UNDEFINED AREA WITHOUT A CLEARLY MARKED ENVELOPE AND LEAD-IN LINES WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF WING WALKERS. 3) WE WERE UNABLE TO REACH STATION OPS BY NORMAL MEANS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF COMPANY PROCS BY OPS AND I BELIEVE NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT BY CORPORATE SAFETY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.