B737 FLC HAS GND ENCOUNTER WITH AIRSTAIRS AT PSP.

Narrative

UPON DEPLANING IN PSP; LAST PAX OFF THE ACFT SAID HE SAW THE L WINGTIP CONTACT A PORTABLE AIRSTAIRS; CAUSING THE UPPER/OUTER RAIL TO DROP ON THE AIRSTAIRS. UPON INSPECTION OUTSIDE; I NOTICED PAINT SCRAPINGS ALONG THE OUTSIDE LENS OF THE POS LIGHTS ON THE L WINGTIP. I COULD SEE NO TEARING OF THE SKIN; CRACKING OF THE LENS; OR OTHER VISIBLE DAMAGE. SHORTLY AFTER; WE DISCOVERED A BROKEN STATIC WICK ON THE GND. I NOTIFIED THE GND CREW OF THE CONTACT; AS THEY WERE UNAWARE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. ON MARSHALLING IN; WE HAD 3 MARSHALERS AND NO SIGNALS OTHER THAN STANDARD. PSP HAS A PROC WHERE THEY OFTEN UTILIZE REAR AIRSTAIRS FOR BOARDING AND DEPLANING. TO HELP GUIDE PAX TO AND FROM THE REAR STAIRS; THERE IS A YELLOW SAFETY LINE PAINTED ON THE RAMP AND AUGMENTED WITH ORANGE SAFETY CONES. THIS LINE AND CONE ARRANGEMENT STARTS PARALLEL TO THE ACFT; BUT THEN ANGLES IN TOWARDS THE ACFT; EXTENDING JUST BEYOND THE ACFT WINGTIP WHEN THE ACFT IS FULLY AT THE GATE. APPROX 20 FT BEFORE THE END OF THE LINE AND CONES; A FAINT WHITE AND RED LINE IS PAINTED; WHICH ANGLES AWAY FROM THE YELLOW LINE AND CONES. THE PORTABLE AIRSTAIRS WERE INSIDE THIS LINE. HOWEVER; THE PORTABLE STAIRS WERE OUTSIDE THE EXTENSION OF THE YELLOW LINE AND ORANGE CONES; APPEARING TO BE WELL OUTSIDE THE SAFETY ZONE. THIS PROB IS EXACERBATED BY THE APCH TO THE GATE THAT MOST ACFT TAKE. THE PREDOMINATE RWY IN USE IS RWY 31L; WHICH MEANS ACFT COMMONLY APCH THE GATE AT AN ANGLE; WHICH MAGNIFIES THE ILLUSION OF EQUIP BEING OUTSIDE THE SAFE ZONE AND OUTSIDE THE EXTENSION OF THE YELLOW LINE AND ORANGE CONES. I SUGGEST THAT THE YELLOW LINE AND CONES PARALLEL THE ACFT TO A POINT WHERE ALL EQUIP OUTSIDE THAT LINE WOULD BE CLR.