Aircraft being taxied by flight crew into crowded ramp are with 4 guide men. Wing tip struck mispark...

Attributes
ACN	126447
Time
Date	198910
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
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 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 : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 118 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	126447
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	126656
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

At dca at night, numerous aircraft are parked on the ramp surrounding X air carrier ramp and its approach path to gate 28. Taxiing in the area in the daylight is extremely hazardous, but at night especially so. 4 marshalling agents are assigned to guide flts at night. We were on the centerline for the gate we were parking, but ground service had misparked a cabin service truck. Only after I felt the bump and applied the brakes was there a signal to stop the aircraft. The copilot had his head out the window and reported 'all clear' as we passed the last aircraft prior to parking. When I felt the bump, I thought we had run over a chock. Damage to aircraft was minimal, confined to wing tip light and a slight dent or crease in aft portion of slat.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT BEING TAXIED BY FLT CREW INTO CROWDED RAMP ARE WITH 4 GUIDE MEN. WING TIP STRUCK MISPARKED SERVICE VEHICLE.

Narrative: AT DCA AT NIGHT, NUMEROUS ACFT ARE PARKED ON THE RAMP SURROUNDING X ACR RAMP AND ITS APCH PATH TO GATE 28. TAXIING IN THE AREA IN THE DAYLIGHT IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS, BUT AT NIGHT ESPECIALLY SO. 4 MARSHALLING AGENTS ARE ASSIGNED TO GUIDE FLTS AT NIGHT. WE WERE ON THE CENTERLINE FOR THE GATE WE WERE PARKING, BUT GND SVC HAD MISPARKED A CABIN SVC TRUCK. ONLY AFTER I FELT THE BUMP AND APPLIED THE BRAKES WAS THERE A SIGNAL TO STOP THE ACFT. THE COPLT HAD HIS HEAD OUT THE WINDOW AND RPTED 'ALL CLR' AS WE PASSED THE LAST ACFT PRIOR TO PARKING. WHEN I FELT THE BUMP, I THOUGHT WE HAD RUN OVER A CHOCK. DAMAGE TO ACFT WAS MINIMAL, CONFINED TO WING TIP LIGHT AND A SLIGHT DENT OR CREASE IN AFT PORTION OF SLAT.

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.

Aircraft being taxied by flight crew into crowded ramp are with 4 guide men. Wing tip struck misparked service vehicle.