Commuter mdt hit light pole with left wing taxiing to parking on ramp at phl.

Attributes
ACN	127487
Time
Date	198911
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
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 Transport
Flight Phase	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 : 240 flight time total : 9000
ASRS Report	127487
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	127481
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon entering the commuter ramp at phl, I could not identify the parking 'T' to position the aircraft. Taxiing real slow I saw an oil darkened area to my right and assumed the parking 'T' was around there. I started turning the aircraft to the right, well satisfied in my mind that the left wingtip was clear. It was not, and the left wingtip hit a light pole. As I was turning, my mind and my attention was too focused on trying to find the parking 'T'. There are no ground marshalling personnel on the commuter ramp at phl. I feel certain that if a ground person had been standing on the 'T', I would not have expended so much attention in trying to find it and would have been able to focus only on keeping clear and safe taxi of the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER MDT HIT LIGHT POLE WITH LEFT WING TAXIING TO PARKING ON RAMP AT PHL.

Narrative: UPON ENTERING THE COMMUTER RAMP AT PHL, I COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PARKING 'T' TO POSITION THE ACFT. TAXIING REAL SLOW I SAW AN OIL DARKENED AREA TO MY RIGHT AND ASSUMED THE PARKING 'T' WAS AROUND THERE. I STARTED TURNING THE ACFT TO THE RIGHT, WELL SATISFIED IN MY MIND THAT THE LEFT WINGTIP WAS CLEAR. IT WAS NOT, AND THE LEFT WINGTIP HIT A LIGHT POLE. AS I WAS TURNING, MY MIND AND MY ATTN WAS TOO FOCUSED ON TRYING TO FIND THE PARKING 'T'. THERE ARE NO GND MARSHALLING PERSONNEL ON THE COMMUTER RAMP AT PHL. I FEEL CERTAIN THAT IF A GND PERSON HAD BEEN STANDING ON THE 'T', I WOULD NOT HAVE EXPENDED SO MUCH ATTN IN TRYING TO FIND IT AND WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS ONLY ON KEEPING CLEAR AND SAFE TAXI OF THE 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.