Background
An airplane was being directed to a parking area by a single marshaler positioned in front and to the left of the aircraft. The first officer looked out the window to monitor the right wing's clearance from a blast fence adjacent to the parking area.
Events Leading to Impact
Due to the sun's position directly behind the airplane, the first officer could not visually locate the right wingtip. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the captain stated that they were aware the wing was "close" to the fence but continued moving because the marshaler was signaling to proceed.
The right wingtip then struck a light pole situated inside the blast fence. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.
Contradictory Accounts
The captain asserted that the marshaler never gave a stop signal before the collision. However, the marshaler told the FAA inspector that she attempted to signal the captain to stop but noticed the captain's head was turned to the right. The FAA inspector also noted that the first officer did not advise the captain to stop or to use caution in the tight area.
No additional details about the aircraft or circumstances were provided.