An ATR-72 first officer reported a near propeller strike while parking. He criticized ramp personnel...

Narrative:

On taxiing in to gate; I noted that a fuel cart was inside of the 'red line' on the right side of the aircraft where the propeller blade would be if we continued taxiing in. I stated that we would have to 'stop the aircraft until the fuel cart was moved.' the captain advised me to monitor the propeller and fuel cart and keep him advised. Feeling strongly about the situation; I ended up stopping the aircraft ft away from a fuel cart. Ramp crews know that fuel carts are not to be left in the 'red line' in proximity of the propeller arch. Had I not stopped the plane our company would have had its second propeller strike within 1 1/2 yrs with a fuel cart! If I recall correctly; that propeller strike 1 1/2 yrs ago was why we have the 'red lines' now. I met with ramp supervisor and the ramp marshaller who marshaled our aircraft in to gate. The 3 of us had a calm conversation regarding the lack of work ethic and danger that ramp personnel exposed themselves and our passenger to by not following proper procedures. I immediately hit the brakes and watched the lead marshaller continue to wave us in. He threw a display tantrum of annoyance when he had to be bothered with moving a fuel cart out of the right propeller blade's way. The fuel cart was ft away from a strike. I am very bothered that I had to be the last link in the chain yesterday. I was repeatedly told by marshaller that someone else is responsible for moving the fuel cart and not ramp personnel. This attitude is not acceptable on the ramp. Companies involved need to reeducate the ramp and reaffirm their procedures. Another pilot observed what happened from next gate and can verify how complacent and dangerous the situation was today. Company needs to take note of this report and its associated form and communicate with parent company that their rampers are consistently leaving objects within the 'red lines.' the complacency on the concourse is getting to the point that items are being left near the red markings that should guard the propeller arches of incoming ATR's. This is unacceptable; company has a dangerous issue on terminal. The general attitude of ramp personnel on this issue is lackadaisical and not respectful of safety. Had a junior first officer with low self esteem and experience been sitting in the right seat yesterday; the flight would have struck a fuel cart.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATR-72 FO REPORTED A NEAR PROP STRIKE WHILE PARKING. HE CRITICIZED RAMP PERSONNEL FOR NOT FOLLOWING PROCEDURES REGARDING EQUIPMENT WITHIN RED LINES.

Narrative: ON TAXIING IN TO GATE; I NOTED THAT A FUEL CART WAS INSIDE OF THE 'RED LINE' ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT WHERE THE PROP BLADE WOULD BE IF WE CONTINUED TAXIING IN. I STATED THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO 'STOP THE ACFT UNTIL THE FUEL CART WAS MOVED.' THE CAPT ADVISED ME TO MONITOR THE PROP AND FUEL CART AND KEEP HIM ADVISED. FEELING STRONGLY ABOUT THE SITUATION; I ENDED UP STOPPING THE ACFT FT AWAY FROM A FUEL CART. RAMP CREWS KNOW THAT FUEL CARTS ARE NOT TO BE LEFT IN THE 'RED LINE' IN PROX OF THE PROP ARCH. HAD I NOT STOPPED THE PLANE OUR COMPANY WOULD HAVE HAD ITS SECOND PROP STRIKE WITHIN 1 1/2 YRS WITH A FUEL CART! IF I RECALL CORRECTLY; THAT PROP STRIKE 1 1/2 YRS AGO WAS WHY WE HAVE THE 'RED LINES' NOW. I MET WITH RAMP SUPVR AND THE RAMP MARSHALLER WHO MARSHALED OUR ACFT IN TO GATE. THE 3 OF US HAD A CALM CONVERSATION REGARDING THE LACK OF WORK ETHIC AND DANGER THAT RAMP PERSONNEL EXPOSED THEMSELVES AND OUR PAX TO BY NOT FOLLOWING PROPER PROCS. I IMMEDIATELY HIT THE BRAKES AND WATCHED THE LEAD MARSHALLER CONTINUE TO WAVE US IN. HE THREW A DISPLAY TANTRUM OF ANNOYANCE WHEN HE HAD TO BE BOTHERED WITH MOVING A FUEL CART OUT OF THE R PROP BLADE'S WAY. THE FUEL CART WAS FT AWAY FROM A STRIKE. I AM VERY BOTHERED THAT I HAD TO BE THE LAST LINK IN THE CHAIN YESTERDAY. I WAS REPEATEDLY TOLD BY MARSHALLER THAT SOMEONE ELSE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MOVING THE FUEL CART AND NOT RAMP PERSONNEL. THIS ATTITUDE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE ON THE RAMP. COMPANIES INVOLVED NEED TO REEDUCATE THE RAMP AND REAFFIRM THEIR PROCS. ANOTHER PLT OBSERVED WHAT HAPPENED FROM NEXT GATE AND CAN VERIFY HOW COMPLACENT AND DANGEROUS THE SITUATION WAS TODAY. COMPANY NEEDS TO TAKE NOTE OF THIS RPT AND ITS ASSOCIATED FORM AND COMMUNICATE WITH PARENT COMPANY THAT THEIR RAMPERS ARE CONSISTENTLY LEAVING OBJECTS WITHIN THE 'RED LINES.' THE COMPLACENCY ON THE CONCOURSE IS GETTING TO THE POINT THAT ITEMS ARE BEING LEFT NEAR THE RED MARKINGS THAT SHOULD GUARD THE PROP ARCHES OF INCOMING ATR'S. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE; COMPANY HAS A DANGEROUS ISSUE ON TERMINAL. THE GENERAL ATTITUDE OF RAMP PERSONNEL ON THIS ISSUE IS LACKADAISICAL AND NOT RESPECTFUL OF SAFETY. HAD A JUNIOR FO WITH LOW SELF ESTEEM AND EXPERIENCE BEEN SITTING IN THE R SEAT YESTERDAY; THE FLT WOULD HAVE STRUCK A FUEL CART.

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.

Attributes
ACN	803096
Time
Date	200809
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	ATR 72
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	803096
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

An ATR-72 first officer reported a near propeller strike while parking. He criticized ramp personnel for not following procedures regarding equipment within red lines.