Narrative:

Upon arrival at gate; the area was well lighted; and the station provided a lead marshaller; a wing walker; and a jetway with driver. As we began to pull onto the gate I proceeded with caution stopping and checking with the wing walker 3 times and being given the thumbs up each of those times. This caution was due to a nearby tug. The third time I stopped and signaled to the wing walker to verify we had clearance he opened his arms wide and gestured that we had plenty of room between us and the tug. At this point he was standing between the wing and the tug. After his third thumbs up I continued further forward onto the gate into a position where I could no longer see the wing; but only the jetway. Almost into our spot we felt the aircraft strike something and I set the parking brake. At which time the lead marshaller continued giving me the signal to proceed forward; apparently unaware that the aircraft had struck an object. The marshaller continued to give this move forward signal until the wing walker made his way over to the marshaller to tell him what had happened. No injuries were reported by the crew; passenger; or ground personnel. The next day I returned on a roundtrip to find the station had new markings for their ground equipment; aircraft parking; and jetway parking. It appears the main problem leading to the incident was the jetway being parked too far forward and the wing walker in his statement said; 'he had to walk forward to stay in sight of the main marshaller because the jetway was blocking their ability to view each other's signals.' it appears the change to the jetway parking should alleviate this issue from happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 CAPT REPORTS CONTACTING A TUG WITH LEFT WING WHILE BEING MARSHALLED INTO THE GATE WITH A WING WALKER IN POSITION.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT GATE; THE AREA WAS WELL LIGHTED; AND THE STATION PROVIDED A LEAD MARSHALLER; A WING WALKER; AND A JETWAY WITH DRIVER. AS WE BEGAN TO PULL ONTO THE GATE I PROCEEDED WITH CAUTION STOPPING AND CHKING WITH THE WING WALKER 3 TIMES AND BEING GIVEN THE THUMBS UP EACH OF THOSE TIMES. THIS CAUTION WAS DUE TO A NEARBY TUG. THE THIRD TIME I STOPPED AND SIGNALED TO THE WING WALKER TO VERIFY WE HAD CLRNC HE OPENED HIS ARMS WIDE AND GESTURED THAT WE HAD PLENTY OF ROOM BTWN US AND THE TUG. AT THIS POINT HE WAS STANDING BTWN THE WING AND THE TUG. AFTER HIS THIRD THUMBS UP I CONTINUED FURTHER FORWARD ONTO THE GATE INTO A POS WHERE I COULD NO LONGER SEE THE WING; BUT ONLY THE JETWAY. ALMOST INTO OUR SPOT WE FELT THE ACFT STRIKE SOMETHING AND I SET THE PARKING BRAKE. AT WHICH TIME THE LEAD MARSHALLER CONTINUED GIVING ME THE SIGNAL TO PROCEED FORWARD; APPARENTLY UNAWARE THAT THE ACFT HAD STRUCK AN OBJECT. THE MARSHALLER CONTINUED TO GIVE THIS MOVE FORWARD SIGNAL UNTIL THE WING WALKER MADE HIS WAY OVER TO THE MARSHALLER TO TELL HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. NO INJURIES WERE RPTED BY THE CREW; PAX; OR GND PERSONNEL. THE NEXT DAY I RETURNED ON A ROUNDTRIP TO FIND THE STATION HAD NEW MARKINGS FOR THEIR GND EQUIP; ACFT PARKING; AND JETWAY PARKING. IT APPEARS THE MAIN PROB LEADING TO THE INCIDENT WAS THE JETWAY BEING PARKED TOO FAR FORWARD AND THE WING WALKER IN HIS STATEMENT SAID; 'HE HAD TO WALK FORWARD TO STAY IN SIGHT OF THE MAIN MARSHALLER BECAUSE THE JETWAY WAS BLOCKING THEIR ABILITY TO VIEW EACH OTHER'S SIGNALS.' IT APPEARS THE CHANGE TO THE JETWAY PARKING SHOULD ALLEVIATE THIS ISSUE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.