Mdt freighter hit wing tip being marshalled (guide man) into parking space.

Attributes
ACN	118973
Time
Date	198908
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : huf
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop 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 : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	118972
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Being marshalled by marshaller on left hand side of aircraft, right hand side of wing tip struck light pole. At the time marshaller was still giving directions to turn further right. First officer informed me that pole looked close. I made a left turn simultaneously, applying brakes. Approximately 1 second later right wing tip struck pole. This problem arises due to the fact that the ramp space is tight and regularly marshallers put wing over fence in order to make the turns. Lamp posts are about 2' inside fence. From left side of aircraft marshallers cannot see right side of aircraft, thus cannot judge where right side of wing tip is. There are no taxi lines for the appropriate parking stations. It is always night and the poles in question are lighted causing difficulty for first officer to evaluate how far wing tip is from object in question. Perhaps it could be moved further from fence or lines painted in order for captain not to have to rely on a marshaller who cannot see the whole aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT FREIGHTER HIT WING TIP BEING MARSHALLED (GUIDE MAN) INTO PARKING SPACE.

Narrative: BEING MARSHALLED BY MARSHALLER ON LEFT HAND SIDE OF ACFT, RIGHT HAND SIDE OF WING TIP STRUCK LIGHT POLE. AT THE TIME MARSHALLER WAS STILL GIVING DIRECTIONS TO TURN FURTHER RIGHT. F/O INFORMED ME THAT POLE LOOKED CLOSE. I MADE A LEFT TURN SIMULTANEOUSLY, APPLYING BRAKES. APPROX 1 SEC LATER RIGHT WING TIP STRUCK POLE. THIS PROB ARISES DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE RAMP SPACE IS TIGHT AND REGULARLY MARSHALLERS PUT WING OVER FENCE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE TURNS. LAMP POSTS ARE ABOUT 2' INSIDE FENCE. FROM LEFT SIDE OF ACFT MARSHALLERS CANNOT SEE RIGHT SIDE OF ACFT, THUS CANNOT JUDGE WHERE RIGHT SIDE OF WING TIP IS. THERE ARE NO TAXI LINES FOR THE APPROPRIATE PARKING STATIONS. IT IS ALWAYS NIGHT AND THE POLES IN QUESTION ARE LIGHTED CAUSING DIFFICULTY FOR F/O TO EVALUATE HOW FAR WING TIP IS FROM OBJECT IN QUESTION. PERHAPS IT COULD BE MOVED FURTHER FROM FENCE OR LINES PAINTED IN ORDER FOR CAPT NOT TO HAVE TO RELY ON A MARSHALLER WHO CANNOT SEE THE WHOLE ACFT.

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.