Narrative:

Aircraft pushed from the gate on ramp 5 at hartsfield airport. The flight had about a one hour delay hold and requested a location to absorb the delay because the gate was needed. Ramp 5 is an uncontrolled ramp with a new delay pad known as the penalty box on the northeast side of the ramp. Was advised he could hold in the penalty box and to position the aircraft to taxi sbound when the controled departure time was near. While repositioning in the penalty box I observed the left wing hit a pole that was on the outside edge of the ramp. The aircraft was told about this observation. The pilot stated he would have a crew member inspect the aircraft. The pilot subsequently advised ground control that his left wing navigation light lens had a small hole and maintenance would check it further. After the inspection I was advised the aircraft would be holding while the lens cover was replaced. The pole that was struck was one of a series of poles on the east edge of the penalty box. The ramp is also served by taxi lights. These poles appear to be too close to the ramp edge and I do not know what purpose they serve. The airport authority stated the poles are lighted at night and they are far enough off the ramp to not be an obstruction to aircraft. If an large transport can hit one of these poles a hazardous condition would exist to just about any commercial jet entering this portion of the ramp. Reporter gave ATC experience time. Said that this problem had been taken care of several weeks ago. The poles have since been cut in half and are now about 6' tall. When incident occurred, they were about 12-15' in height with a red light on top. Not sure if the red lights are still on. Reporter thinks the poles were to guard a fuel line that ran adjacent to them. No problems now with aircraft going to the penalty box to hold. Reporter was working the south ground control position with a trnee when incident occurred. Supervisor was advised. Not sure if facility notified the airport people or not about this, but thinks this incident caused them to cut the poles.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT DIRECTED TO PENALTY BOX OFF OF RAMP 5 AT ATL HIT WING TIP ON LIGHT POLE AT EDGE OF PENALTY BOX.

Narrative: ACFT PUSHED FROM THE GATE ON RAMP 5 AT HARTSFIELD ARPT. THE FLT HAD ABOUT A ONE HR DELAY HOLD AND REQUESTED A LOCATION TO ABSORB THE DELAY BECAUSE THE GATE WAS NEEDED. RAMP 5 IS AN UNCTLED RAMP WITH A NEW DELAY PAD KNOWN AS THE PENALTY BOX ON THE NE SIDE OF THE RAMP. WAS ADVISED HE COULD HOLD IN THE PENALTY BOX AND TO POS THE ACFT TO TAXI SBOUND WHEN THE CTLED DEP TIME WAS NEAR. WHILE REPOSITIONING IN THE PENALTY BOX I OBSERVED THE L WING HIT A POLE THAT WAS ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE RAMP. THE ACFT WAS TOLD ABOUT THIS OBSERVATION. THE PLT STATED HE WOULD HAVE A CREW MEMBER INSPECT THE ACFT. THE PLT SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED GND CTL THAT HIS L WING NAV LIGHT LENS HAD A SMALL HOLE AND MAINT WOULD CHK IT FURTHER. AFTER THE INSPECTION I WAS ADVISED THE ACFT WOULD BE HOLDING WHILE THE LENS COVER WAS REPLACED. THE POLE THAT WAS STRUCK WAS ONE OF A SERIES OF POLES ON THE E EDGE OF THE PENALTY BOX. THE RAMP IS ALSO SERVED BY TAXI LIGHTS. THESE POLES APPEAR TO BE TOO CLOSE TO THE RAMP EDGE AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT PURPOSE THEY SERVE. THE ARPT AUTHORITY STATED THE POLES ARE LIGHTED AT NIGHT AND THEY ARE FAR ENOUGH OFF THE RAMP TO NOT BE AN OBSTRUCTION TO ACFT. IF AN LGT CAN HIT ONE OF THESE POLES A HAZARDOUS CONDITION WOULD EXIST TO JUST ABOUT ANY COMMERCIAL JET ENTERING THIS PORTION OF THE RAMP. RPTR GAVE ATC EXPERIENCE TIME. SAID THAT THIS PROB HAD BEEN TAKEN CARE OF SEVERAL WKS AGO. THE POLES HAVE SINCE BEEN CUT IN HALF AND ARE NOW ABOUT 6' TALL. WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED, THEY WERE ABOUT 12-15' IN HEIGHT WITH A RED LIGHT ON TOP. NOT SURE IF THE RED LIGHTS ARE STILL ON. RPTR THINKS THE POLES WERE TO GUARD A FUEL LINE THAT RAN ADJACENT TO THEM. NO PROBS NOW WITH ACFT GOING TO THE PENALTY BOX TO HOLD. RPTR WAS WORKING THE S GND CTL POS WITH A TRNEE WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED. SUPVR WAS ADVISED. NOT SURE IF FAC NOTIFIED THE ARPT PEOPLE OR NOT ABOUT THIS, BUT THINKS THIS INCIDENT CAUSED THEM TO CUT THE POLES.

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.