WDB TAXIING INTO GATE WITH WINGWALKERS AND NOSE MARSHALLER HAS WING CROSS OVER AND HIT VERT FIN OF PARKED LTT.
Synopsis
WDB TAXIING INTO GATE WITH WINGWALKERS AND NOSE MARSHALLER HAS WING CROSS OVER AND HIT VERT FIN OF PARKED LTT.
Narrative
UPON TAXI IN AT GATE A AT LAX; THE L WING OF OUR WDB STRUCK THE VERT FIN ON THE LTT PARKED ON THE ADJACENT RAMP. THE LTT WAS PARKED WITH HIS TAIL TOWARD THE WDB AT ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE. HIS TAIL WAS LOCATED ON THE L GATE 'CLR BOUNDARY' YELLOW LINE. A WINGWALKER AS WELL AS A NOSE MARSHALLER BOTH WERE PRESENT AT GATE A; AND THE 'GREEN LIGHT' WAS ON THE GATE ELECTRONIC TAXI GUIDE. THE RAMP APPEARED TO BE CLR BY THE AIRCREW AND AT NO TIME DID THE GND CREW GIVE A STOP SIGNAL TO THE AIRCREW. THE BOTTOM LEADING EDGE OF THE L WING OF THE WDB STRUCK THE TIP OF VERT FIN OF THE LTT DAMAGING THE TOP 12 INCHES. THE WDB WING WAS NOT DAMAGED. CAUSES: 1) IMPROPER PARKING OF THE LTT TOO CLOSE TO THE BOUNDARY TO GATE A. 2) PARKING OF THE LTT WITH ITS TAIL TOWARDS THE WING OF AN ADJACENT ACFT. 3) POOR COM BTWN THE WDB WINGWALKER; NOSE MARSHALLER; AND THE COCKPIT CREW. 4) POORLY MARKED GATE BOUNDARIES AT GATE A. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) REVIEW AND CORRECT; IF NECESSARY; THE PARKING PROC OF THE LTTS AT THE RAMP NEXT TO GATE A. 2) IMPROVE COM BTWN MARSHALLERS; WINGWALKERS; AND AIRCREWS. 3) REPAINT THE GATE BOUNDARY AT GATE A. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 216896: I WORK FOR A COMMUTER AIRLINE. WE HAD BOARDED PAX FOR A FLT FROM LAX TO YUM. JUST AS WE WERE FINISHING THE PAPERWORK AN ACR WDB HIT OUR TAIL WITH HIS L WING; WHILE INBOUND TO HIS GATE. HE HAD WINGWALKERS BUT APPARENTLY THERE WAS A LACK OF COM. BETTER AWARENESS OF GND CREW PERSONNEL WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.