AN MD80 TAXIING ON TO A GATE WITH A GUIDE MAN AND WING WALKERS STRUCK AN IMPROPERLY PARKED VAN INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE L WINGTIP.

Narrative

DURING REPOSITIONING OF ACFT FROM HANGAR TO GATE; ACFT LEFT WINGTIP STRUCK MAINT VAN. I SAW THE VAN PARKED THERE BUT THOUGHT IT WAS IN SAFETY ZONE. WE HAD 2 WING WALKERS AS WELL AS THE MARSHALLER AT THE FRONT OF THE ACFT. WINGTIP STRUCK VAN ABOUT 10 FT SHORT OF GATE JETWAY. L WING WALKER SIGNALED TO NOSE MARSHALLER FOR US TO STOP; BUT NOSE MARSHALLER DID NOT SIGNAL US TO STOP OR EVEN SLOW DOWN. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ACFT WHEN I FELT BUMP OF HITTING VAN. AT THIS TIME; I LOOKED DOWN AND MARSHALLER WAS XING WANDS. THESE EVENTS HAPPENED SIMULTANEOUSLY. VAN WAS PARKED JUST OVER SAFETY ZONE AS IT TURNED OUT; THIS MADE THE DIFFERENCE. ACFT SUSTAINED VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO WINGTIP. ACFT WAS REPAIRED AT GATE AND REDISPATCHED. MYSELF; THE COPLT; AND GND CREW RPTED TO DRUG TESTING CLINIC AS INSTRUCTED. DUE TO LACK OF VISIBILITY OF WINGTIP (MD80 TYPE ACFT) I HAD TO RELY ON GND CREW TO ENSURE WE WERE CLR OF ALL OBSTACLES. THIS OBVIOUSLY FAILED. I BELIEVED WE WOULD CLR THE VAN AND I KNEW WE HAD WING WALKERS TO ENSURE THAT. I BELIEVE GND PERSONNEL COULD USE MORE EXTENSIVE TRAINING TO HELP ENSURE EVERYBODY IS PAYING ATTN AND IS AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON. IT SEEMS THESE IMPORTANT PEOPLE ONLY RECEIVED MINIMUM TRAINING IN GND OPS. ACFT WAS NOT BEING MOVED FOR PURPOSE OF FLT; IT WAS A REPOS ONLY FROM HANGAR TO GATE; NO PAX ABOARD.