Commuter with ramp personnel guidance hits wing tip of parked aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	174624
Time
Date	199104
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna
State Reference	CA
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	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 133 flight time total : 4250 flight time type : 545
ASRS Report	174624
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	174326
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In command of an light transport aircraft operated by commuter airline, I was being directed by ground personnel (employees for our airline's marketing partner, X airlines) on the ramp at sna. Upon completing a right 180 degree turn from my parking area, I realized that I would have to maneuver between 2 parked aircraft. After soliciting ground personnel for additional assistance, we proceeded forward with a ramper at the left wing and one at the forward right of my aircraft. As we approached the parked aircraft, our company mechanic, who was standing nearby, signalled to the ground personnel to stop directing me forward as there was insufficient room for my aircraft to pass. I stopped my aircraft well clear of the others. The ground personnel pushed back the aircraft to our right in an attempt to increase the distance between the wing tips. I was then directed for another attempt at clearing the 2 parked aircraft to no avail. The air carrier X ground crew then pushed back the aircraft to my left. I then inched my aircraft closer to the other aircraft and stopped. At this point, I could see that my left wing would clear the wing of the aircraft to my left. Because I could not see my right wing tip from my seat, I asked the first officer if we would clear the wing tip of the aircraft to my right. He told me that he couldn't tell and motioned to the ramper, who was now standing forward and to the right of my aircraft giving me an all clear, continue forward hand signal, to move closer to our right wing tip to gain a better view of the clearance. Once repositioned, the ramper, west/O hesitation, gave hand signals indicating clearance existed and I should maneuver forward and to the left. Prior to moving, I told the first officer to monitor the right wing and the ramper, place his feet ready at the brake pedals and stop the aircraft if he saw any problem. I then started moving my aircraft very slowly as I monitored and followed the ramper's directions. Then, simultaneously, the first officer said we made contact with the other aircraft as he and I applied brakes to stop. As I watched the ramper, I noticed that he didn't indicate that I should stop until contact had already been made.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER WITH RAMP PERSONNEL GUIDANCE HITS WING TIP OF PARKED ACFT.

Narrative: IN COMMAND OF AN LTT ACFT OPERATED BY COMMUTER AIRLINE, I WAS BEING DIRECTED BY GND PERSONNEL (EMPLOYEES FOR OUR AIRLINE'S MARKETING PARTNER, X AIRLINES) ON THE RAMP AT SNA. UPON COMPLETING A RIGHT 180 DEG TURN FROM MY PARKING AREA, I REALIZED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO MANEUVER BTWN 2 PARKED ACFT. AFTER SOLICITING GND PERSONNEL FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, WE PROCEEDED FORWARD WITH A RAMPER AT THE LEFT WING AND ONE AT THE FORWARD RIGHT OF MY ACFT. AS WE APCHED THE PARKED ACFT, OUR COMPANY MECH, WHO WAS STANDING NEARBY, SIGNALLED TO THE GND PERSONNEL TO STOP DIRECTING ME FORWARD AS THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ROOM FOR MY ACFT TO PASS. I STOPPED MY ACFT WELL CLR OF THE OTHERS. THE GND PERSONNEL PUSHED BACK THE ACFT TO OUR RIGHT IN AN ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THE DISTANCE BTWN THE WING TIPS. I WAS THEN DIRECTED FOR ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT CLRING THE 2 PARKED ACFT TO NO AVAIL. THE ACR X GND CREW THEN PUSHED BACK THE ACFT TO MY LEFT. I THEN INCHED MY ACFT CLOSER TO THE OTHER ACFT AND STOPPED. AT THIS POINT, I COULD SEE THAT MY LEFT WING WOULD CLR THE WING OF THE ACFT TO MY LEFT. BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE MY RIGHT WING TIP FROM MY SEAT, I ASKED THE F/O IF WE WOULD CLR THE WING TIP OF THE ACFT TO MY RIGHT. HE TOLD ME THAT HE COULDN'T TELL AND MOTIONED TO THE RAMPER, WHO WAS NOW STANDING FORWARD AND TO THE RIGHT OF MY ACFT GIVING ME AN ALL CLR, CONTINUE FORWARD HAND SIGNAL, TO MOVE CLOSER TO OUR RIGHT WING TIP TO GAIN A BETTER VIEW OF THE CLRNC. ONCE REPOSITIONED, THE RAMPER, W/O HESITATION, GAVE HAND SIGNALS INDICATING CLRNC EXISTED AND I SHOULD MANEUVER FORWARD AND TO THE LEFT. PRIOR TO MOVING, I TOLD THE F/O TO MONITOR THE RIGHT WING AND THE RAMPER, PLACE HIS FEET READY AT THE BRAKE PEDALS AND STOP THE ACFT IF HE SAW ANY PROB. I THEN STARTED MOVING MY ACFT VERY SLOWLY AS I MONITORED AND FOLLOWED THE RAMPER'S DIRECTIONS. THEN, SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE F/O SAID WE MADE CONTACT WITH THE OTHER ACFT AS HE AND I APPLIED BRAKES TO STOP. AS I WATCHED THE RAMPER, I NOTICED THAT HE DIDN'T INDICATE THAT I SHOULD STOP UNTIL CONTACT HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.