LTT BEING MARSHALLED TO PARKING WAS WINGTIP HIT PARKED ACFT.

Narrative

I WAS CAPT OF A SAAB SF-340; OPERATING ON THE RAMP AREA OF THE MEM ARPT; TAXIING TOWARD MY ASSIGNED PARKING SPOT AT GATE. I WAS FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS OF A RAMP PERSON AND ON THE 'YELLOW LINE.' THIS IS A VERY TIGHT PARKING AREA (IN THE DRAWING BELOW; MY SHIP IS #1 AND THE OTHER PARKED ACFT IS #2); AND SO I RELIED ON THE JUDGEMENT OF THE RAMP PERSONNEL; WHO HAD A BETTER VIEW OF THE AREA THAN I HAD FROM THE COCKPIT. UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THIS RAMP PERSON; THE ANTI-COLLISION STROBE LIGHT COVER ON THE L WINGTIP OF MY SHIP CONTACTED THE POS LIGHT COVER ON THE R WINGTIP OF THE OTHER ACFT. AFTER THE INCIDENT; I MEASURED THE PARALLEL 'YELLOW LINES' AND FOUND THEM TO BE ABOUT 4 FT CLOSER TOGETHER THAN THE WINGSPAN OF OUR ACFT (SAAB SF-340) -- IF BOTH ACFT ARE EXACTLY ON THE 'YELLOW LINE;' AN OVERLAP OF ABOUT 2 FT EXISTS. TO PREVENT FUTURE INCIDENTS THE COMPANY HAS ORDERED THAT; FROM NOW ON; ONLY THE 'LEAD' RAMP PERSONNEL CAN PARK ACFT. HOWEVER; I FEEL OTHER MATTERS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED: FIRST; IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DIRECTLY COMMUNICATE WITH RAMP PERSONNEL WHILE IN THE ACFT. OUR ONLY METHOD OF COM IS TO CALL THE COMPANY DISPATCH FREQ; AND HAVE THEM ADVISE THE 'LEAD' RAMP PERSONNEL OF OUR CONCERNS (ONLY THE 'LEAD' HAS A RADIO; AND THEIR FREQUENCIES ARE DIFFERENT FROM OURS). I REALIZE THIS WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO CHANGE; BUT DIRECT COM WITH THE RAMP PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE FOR PARKING WOULD BE OF GREAT ASSISTANCE. NEXT; THE PARKING SPOTS ARE POORLY LAID OUT AND THE 'YELLOW LINES' ARE MUCH TOO CLOSE. REPAINTING THE RAMP WOULD OBVIOUSLY HELP; BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO PARK THE NUMBER OF ACFT WE UTILIZE DAILY. FINALLY; I FEEL ALL RAMP PERSONNEL SHOULD BE BETTER TRAINED TO ASSIST ARR AND DEP ACFT. WITH THE HIGH TURNOVER OF RAMP PERSONNEL OUR COMPANY EXPERIENCES; IT SEEMS THE NEW HIRES ONLY RECEIVE THE MINIMUM TRAINING AND HAVE VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN PARKING ACFT. THE CAPT IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFE OP OF THE ACFT; AND THIS FLT IS NO EXCEPTION. HOWEVER; THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE NEED HELP OR GUIDANCE IN MANEUVERING IN TIGHT SITS. A POORLY TRAINED RAMP PERSON WITH LITTLE EXPERIENCE IS SOMETIMES WORSE THAN NO HELP.