Air carrier medium large transport struck tug while self parking at terminal.

Attributes
ACN	102402
Time
Date	198901
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	102402
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon taxiing into the gate in pittsburgh, our only self parking airport, the tug was not in the proper position. There was no way to determine that it was not properly positioned. Also, the tug disappears from sight as the aircraft gets closer to the gate. We struck the tug and did minor damage to the radome. I don't feel that self parking is a safe procedure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG STRUCK TUG WHILE SELF PARKING AT TERMINAL.

Narrative: UPON TAXIING INTO THE GATE IN PITTSBURGH, OUR ONLY SELF PARKING ARPT, THE TUG WAS NOT IN THE PROPER POSITION. THERE WAS NO WAY TO DETERMINE THAT IT WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED. ALSO, THE TUG DISAPPEARS FROM SIGHT AS THE ACFT GETS CLOSER TO THE GATE. WE STRUCK THE TUG AND DID MINOR DAMAGE TO THE RADOME. I DON'T FEEL THAT SELF PARKING IS A SAFE PROCEDURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.