EMB145 ACFT TAXIING INTO PARKING UNDER MARSHALLER GUIDANCE. WINGTIP HIT BY ANOTHER COMPANY BAGGAGE TUG.

Date: 1997-05 · Aircraft: Embraer Undifferentiated or Other Model

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

EMB145 ACFT TAXIING INTO PARKING UNDER MARSHALLER GUIDANCE. WINGTIP HIT BY ANOTHER COMPANY BAGGAGE TUG.

Narrative

TAXIING TO THE GATE AT MKE I OBSERVED WING WALKERS STANDING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PARKING AREA. ADDITIONALLY; THERE WAS NO GND SVC EQUIP INSIDE THE LINES DEFINING THE 'CLR AREA.' WITH THE ACFT CTRED ON THE J-LINE I FOCUSED MY ATTN ON THE ACFT MARSHALLER AND SLOWED TO A CRAWL (AS I USUALLY DO) FOR THE LAST FEW FT BEFORE THE FINAL STOP. APPROX 10 FT FROM OUR DESIGNATED STOP LINE; THE L WINGTIP CONTACTED THE ROOF OF A TUG PULLING A BAG CART (OR CARTS -- THE TUG LEFT THE SCENE BEFORE WE COULD GET OFF THE AIRPLANE!). APPARENTLY; AT SOME POINT; THE L WING WALKER LEFT OUR SIDE TO GO HELP PUSH BACK ANOTHER AIRPLANE. THE TUG DRIVER MUST HAVE BEEN DISTR AND PULLED INTO THE 'CLR AREA' PREMATURELY. THE RAMP AGENT GUIDING ME IN; MAY HAVE HAD HIS VIEW OF THE L WING BLOCKED BY THE JETWAY. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO BE: 1) LACK OF A WING WALKER IN POS UNTIL THE ACFT COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP. 2) A VERY SLOW TAXI SPD FOR THE FINAL 25-50 FT. 3) A DISTR TUG DRIVER. 4) GND HANDLING AT MKE BY OUR CODE SHARE PARTNER. THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT RAMP PROCS THAN MY COMPANY. AT FIRST THEY DENIED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS FROM THEM. (NO TUG; JUST A BROKEN WINGTIP CAP: 'WHERE DID YOU DO THAT?') AFTER WE POINTED OUT THE DEBRIS ON THE RAMP 10 FT BEHIND THE WINGTIP; THEY DENIED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THEIR EQUIP. AFTER POINTING OUT THE MAROON SCRAPES ON OUR WINGTIP (THEIR GND EQUIP COLOR -- OURS ARE PAINTED WHITE) THEY FINALLY PRODUCED A TUG WITH ROOF DAMAGE AND PIECES OF FIBERGLAS ON IT. IT HAD LEFT THE SCENE AND TAKEN A LOAD OF BAGS TO BAGGAGE CLAIM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 368160: THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) STATION CREW WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAUNCH A B737 WHILE RECOVERING OUR EMB145 WITH A MINIMAL CREW. 2) OP OF RAMP VEHICLES BY TRAINEES WITHOUT ADEQUATE SUPERVISION.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.