727 TAXIING OUT WITH MARSHALLER HAS WINGTIP HIT AIRSTAIRS.

Narrative

THIS EVENT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS RECEIVING MY INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE FOR MY COMPANY WHILE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A COMPANY CHK AIRMAN. PRIOR TO ENG START; WHILE I WAS OFF HEADSET PERFORMING MY PREDEP DUTIES IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT; THE CAPT ASKED THE GND CREWMAN/MARSHALLER IF WE HAD ADEQUATE CLRNC ON THE AIRSTAIRS WHICH WERE PULLED AWAY OFF OF OUR L SIDE. THE MARSHALLER WOULD WATCH THEM AS HE MARSHALLED US OUT. THIS CONVERSATION WAS HEARD ON INTERPHONE BY THE CAPT; FO AND SO COMPANY CHK AIRMAN. THE ACFT POWERED STRAIGHT AHEAD A FEW FT FOLLOWED BY A R TURN PER THE MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS. DURING TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY; WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY GND TO RETURN TO THE CARGO RAMP PER OUR COMPANY'S REQUEST. UPON SHUTDOWN AT THE RAMP; WE WERE INFORMED THAT A MECH HAD OBSERVED OUR ACFT'S L WINGTIP AS IT STRUCK THE AIRSTAIRS CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE WINGTIP AND NONE TO THE AIRSTAIRS. WE (THE CREW) WERE TOTALLY UNAWARE THAT THE ACFT HAD STRUCK THE AIRSTAIRS. THE MARSHALLER ADMITTED TO US THAT THE INCIDENT WAS HIS FAULT. SUBSEQUENTLY; THE CAPT HANDLED THE SIT PER OUR COMPANY'S OPERATING MANUAL AND REGS. THIS WAS NOT AN ACFT ACCIDENT AS DESCRIBED WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE NTSB REGS. THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE SUPERFICIAL DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO DENTED SKIN AT THE L WINGTIP ALONG WITH SOME BROKEN GLASS FROM THE WINGTIP LIGHT LENS COVER. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THERE WERE OBSTRUCTION LINES PAINTED ON THE RAMP.