2003-11 · NASA ASRS report 600632
GSP ARPT RAMP GUIDANCE WING WALKER ALERTS MARSHALLER AND FLT CREW TOO LATE TO STOP DC9 WINGTIP CONTACT WITH JETBRIDGE DURING GATE TAXI OUT.
ON TAXI OUT FROM GSP; WE WERE MARSHALLED IN A MANNER WHICH CAUSED THE L WINGTIP TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE JETBRIDGE. THE GATE THERE IS A PWR BACK OR TURNOUT GATE AND OUR FORWARD MARSHALLER SIGNALED US TO MOVE FORWARD AND THEN GAVE US A SIGNAL FOR A R TURN. THE CAPT BEGAN THE R TURN; FOLLOWING THE MARSHALERS SIGNAL. I NOTICED OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY FIELD OF VIEW THAT THE R WING WALKER WAS RUNNING FORWARD AND SIGNALING EMER STOP. WE STOPPED AT THAT TIME. UPON INSPECTION OF L WINGTIP; WE FOUND THAT IT HAD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE JETWAY. THE POS LIGHT LENS COVER WAS SHATTERED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PAX OR GND CREW. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: JETBRIDGE WAS NOT MOVED BACK FAR ENOUGH FOR A TURNOUT. FORWARD MARSHALLER AFTERWARDS SAID SHE THOUGHT IT WAS A PWR BACK; BUT SHE NEVER GAVE US PWR BACK SIGNALS; ONLY TURNOUT SIGNALS. SHE WAS LATE IN RECOGNIZING THE PROB AND SHOULD HAVE STOPPED US SOONER. WE HAD MADE ALMOST 1/4 TURN. WHY DIDN'T THE L WING WALKER SIGNAL FOR STOP; IT WAS HIS WING? I THINK LACK OF GND TRAINING AND UNDERSTANDING OF PROCS AND SIGNALS WERE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS. AS PLTS; WE HAVE TO TRUST THE GND CREW BECAUSE WE CAN'T SEE THE WINGS AND THEY NEED TO RECOGNIZE WHEN SOMETHING ISN'T AS THEY THINK IT SHOULD BE. WE ONLY FOLLOW THE SIGNALS WE ARE GIVEN.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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