Wing tip of air carrier large transport hit fence approaching gate at jfk.

Attributes
ACN	86853
Time
Date	198805
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
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 : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 14000
ASRS Report	86853
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	86854
Events
Anomaly	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
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On arrival at gate at jfk was informed that I had incurred a bird strike on left wing tip shattering the cover for the navigation light - a logbook entry was entered. It is possible also that the cover was broken by striking the chain link fence adjacent to gate as there have been instances of wingtip strikage in this area in the past. Contributing factors - light to moderate rain was falling in the stet. Contributing factors - light to moderate rain was falling in the jfk area with standing water on ramp surfaces - this coupled with lighting on the concourse caused a glare on the ramp making view of the lead-in line difficult. In addition, there are apparently two lead-in lines (one an old line painted or paved over, but still visible in the glare). There was a signal man present but he was positioned at the nose gear stop point and was well to my right with no clear view of the left side of the aircraft. This gate and the proximity of the fence results in a very tight entry and is very precarious and unsafe especially without clearly defined lead-in lines and/or wing tip observers. Additional markings or the repositioning of the fence would help.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WING TIP OF ACR LGT HIT FENCE APCHING GATE AT JFK.

Narrative: ON ARRIVAL AT GATE AT JFK WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD INCURRED A BIRD STRIKE ON LEFT WING TIP SHATTERING THE COVER FOR THE NAV LIGHT - A LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS ENTERED. IT IS POSSIBLE ALSO THAT THE COVER WAS BROKEN BY STRIKING THE CHAIN LINK FENCE ADJACENT TO GATE AS THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES OF WINGTIP STRIKAGE IN THIS AREA IN THE PAST. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS - LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN WAS FALLING IN THE STET. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS - LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN WAS FALLING IN THE JFK AREA WITH STANDING WATER ON RAMP SURFACES - THIS COUPLED WITH LIGHTING ON THE CONCOURSE CAUSED A GLARE ON THE RAMP MAKING VIEW OF THE LEAD-IN LINE DIFFICULT. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE APPARENTLY TWO LEAD-IN LINES (ONE AN OLD LINE PAINTED OR PAVED OVER, BUT STILL VISIBLE IN THE GLARE). THERE WAS A SIGNAL MAN PRESENT BUT HE WAS POSITIONED AT THE NOSE GEAR STOP POINT AND WAS WELL TO MY RIGHT WITH NO CLEAR VIEW OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ACFT. THIS GATE AND THE PROX OF THE FENCE RESULTS IN A VERY TIGHT ENTRY AND IS VERY PRECARIOUS AND UNSAFE ESPECIALLY WITHOUT CLEARLY DEFINED LEAD-IN LINES AND/OR WING TIP OBSERVERS. ADDITIONAL MARKINGS OR THE REPOSITIONING OF THE FENCE WOULD HELP.

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.