Aircraft struck cherry picker damaging aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	80383
Time
Date	198801
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hdn
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 4060 flight time type : 669
ASRS Report	80383
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	80384
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

It had been snowing with a temperature of 20 degrees F. Passenger were boarded and deicing accomplished at the gate. We then learned from den center we would incur approximately a 30 min delay before takeoff due to inbound traffic. Station personnel requested we reposition our aircraft to make room for another company flight inbound to the airport. Snowfall continued and station personnel were advised that we would require more deicing just prior to takeoff. After the captain relocated the aircraft, ground personnel on foot and personnel manning the deicing truck repositioned themselves in front of the aircraft. The captain rendered a visual signal to the ground personnel to commence deicing as the expect clearance time approached. The deicing personnel complied and started deicing at the front of the aircraft and moved rearward. After a considerable length of time passed, the captain asked den center how much more of a delay we could expect. Den center advised that the flight inbound to the airport had just diverted and we could depart. With the captain's clearance, I walked back into the cabin to perform a visual inspection of the wings. While I was in the cabin, the captain began to taxi. I completed my visual inspection and returned to the cockpit to inform the captain that the right wing needed more snow removal. When I contacted station personnel I was informed the aircraft had hit the deicing truck's cherry picker basket. The captain returned to the gate and a maintenance rep/mechanic performed an inspection. A small dent and scrape was noticed on the outboard leading edge of the stabilizer. The damage did not affect airworthiness and the aircraft was cleared for flight. Observations: 1) the station personnel's rush to get our aircraft off the gate caused poor communication resulting in a lack of coordination between the cockpit and ground personnel. 2) after deicing started and the truck moved rearward, no ground personnel were in sight of the cockpit crew leading to the assumption by the captain that deicing had been completed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT STRUCK CHERRY PICKER DAMAGING ACFT.

Narrative: IT HAD BEEN SNOWING WITH A TEMP OF 20 DEGS F. PAX WERE BOARDED AND DEICING ACCOMPLISHED AT THE GATE. WE THEN LEARNED FROM DEN CENTER WE WOULD INCUR APPROX A 30 MIN DELAY BEFORE TKOF DUE TO INBND TFC. STATION PERSONNEL REQUESTED WE REPOSITION OUR ACFT TO MAKE ROOM FOR ANOTHER COMPANY FLT INBND TO THE ARPT. SNOWFALL CONTINUED AND STATION PERSONNEL WERE ADVISED THAT WE WOULD REQUIRE MORE DEICING JUST PRIOR TO TKOF. AFTER THE CAPT RELOCATED THE ACFT, GND PERSONNEL ON FOOT AND PERSONNEL MANNING THE DEICING TRUCK REPOSITIONED THEMSELVES IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. THE CAPT RENDERED A VISUAL SIGNAL TO THE GND PERSONNEL TO COMMENCE DEICING AS THE EXPECT CLRNC TIME APCHED. THE DEICING PERSONNEL COMPLIED AND STARTED DEICING AT THE FRONT OF THE ACFT AND MOVED REARWARD. AFTER A CONSIDERABLE LENGTH OF TIME PASSED, THE CAPT ASKED DEN CENTER HOW MUCH MORE OF A DELAY WE COULD EXPECT. DEN CENTER ADVISED THAT THE FLT INBND TO THE ARPT HAD JUST DIVERTED AND WE COULD DEPART. WITH THE CAPT'S CLRNC, I WALKED BACK INTO THE CABIN TO PERFORM A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE WINGS. WHILE I WAS IN THE CABIN, THE CAPT BEGAN TO TAXI. I COMPLETED MY VISUAL INSPECTION AND RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO INFORM THE CAPT THAT THE RIGHT WING NEEDED MORE SNOW REMOVAL. WHEN I CONTACTED STATION PERSONNEL I WAS INFORMED THE ACFT HAD HIT THE DEICING TRUCK'S CHERRY PICKER BASKET. THE CAPT RETURNED TO THE GATE AND A MAINT REP/MECHANIC PERFORMED AN INSPECTION. A SMALL DENT AND SCRAPE WAS NOTICED ON THE OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE OF THE STAB. THE DAMAGE DID NOT AFFECT AIRWORTHINESS AND THE ACFT WAS CLRED FOR FLT. OBSERVATIONS: 1) THE STATION PERSONNEL'S RUSH TO GET OUR ACFT OFF THE GATE CAUSED POOR COM RESULTING IN A LACK OF COORD BTWN THE COCKPIT AND GND PERSONNEL. 2) AFTER DEICING STARTED AND THE TRUCK MOVED REARWARD, NO GND PERSONNEL WERE IN SIGHT OF THE COCKPIT CREW LEADING TO THE ASSUMPTION BY THE CAPT THAT DEICING HAD BEEN COMPLETED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.