MLG WINGTIP HITS CATERING TRUCK WHEN BEING MARSHALLED INTO GATE.
Synopsis
MLG WINGTIP HITS CATERING TRUCK WHEN BEING MARSHALLED INTO GATE.
Narrative
END OF SEGMENT; ORD-AUS. TAXIING IN. NORMALLY PARK AT GATE -- DIRECTED TO GATE X. AFTER EXITING RWY 13R; DIRECTED BY GND CTL TO TAXI DELTA PAPA AND RE-ENTER RAMP AT TANGO TO ALLOW ACFT TO CLR RAMP OUTBOUND. THEN POSITIONED MY ACFT ON YELLOW LINE INBOUND TO GATE X. COMMUTER TURBOPROP TURNING UP ON MY R AND AHEAD; CATERING TRUCK (HIGH BOX) BEYOND SAFETY CLRNC LINE TO THE L THOUGH PARKED NOSE TOWARD AND FURTHEST OUT DISTANCE FROM TERMINAL. REMARKED TO COPLT; LOOKED TIGHT GETTING INTO GATE. WE RECONFIRMED CLRNCS AND PROCEEDED. ENTRY TO GATE VIA EASY L TURN ON YELLOW LEAD-IN LINE. WAS DIRECTED BY HAND SIGNALS AT GATE. AT ABOUT 75 FT OUT; HEARD BUMP -- STOPPED -- SIGNALMEN CONTINUED TO MOTION ME INTO GATE. INQUIRED OF FO -- HE SAID FELT LIKE WE RAN OVER A CHOCK OR SOMETHING ON THE RAMP. SIGNALMAN CONTINUED MOTIONING TO PROCEED TO GATE. THEN SECOND GND SIGNALMAN TO MY R DID SAME. WE CONTINUED TO GATE AND SECURED THE ACFT. I WENT TO THE RAMP TO SEE WHAT HAD BUMPED US. FOUND L WINGTIP LENS; BULB; AND TIP FRAMER DAMAGE. ALSO DENT UPPER CORNER SKY CHEF TRUCK. SIGNALMAN HAD NOT NOTICED OUR PROX NOR OBSERVED THE COLLISION. SHE WAS SURPRISED WHEN I POINTED IT OUT. I AM THE ONE WHO SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND HAD THE TRUCK MOVED WHEN I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WHETHER BEYOND THE SAFETY LINE OR NOT. THE NEXT ACFT TO APCH THAT GATE (1 HR LATER); GATE NOT NORMALLY USED BY ACR; THE STATION MGR AND OTHER EXPERTS JUDGED THE CLRNCS AS MARGINAL! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 249220: I THINK THE ARPT MARKINGS AT GATE X ARE WRONG. WE WERE ON THE YELLOW TAXI LINE AND THE CATERING TRUCK WAS WITHIN ITS SAFETY ZONE AND YET WE CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE CATERING TRUCK. I ALSO THINK THE SIGNAL PERSON WAS NOT AWARE OF THE WINGTIP CLRNC. THE SIGNAL PERSON GUIDED US ON THE YELLOW LEAD-IN LINE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.