Narrative:

I was at the controls of a widebody transport maneuvering to park at gate at honolulu international airport. I was given hand signals onto the gate centerline and then signaled to continue with the gate automatic light system to complete the park maneuver. When I transitioned onto the light system I observed the indications that I was on the proper alignment and observed the green (ok to proceed) light. After some time the light system switched to amber (prepare to stop mode). I continued ahead at a very slow rate awaiting the red stop light. The centerline align light still showed me on or near gate centerline. The next thing I saw was a man running from beneath the aircraft signaling a stop by hand signals. I stopped and the aircraft was then pushed back to the proper stop line. The aircraft left wing was damaged by the aft of 2 jetways on the aircraft left side. Examination showed that the aircraft had passed or missed the sensor that triggers the red stop light without triggering the stop signal. There was a man in my view at all times who was responsible for manually switching on the red stop light if the aircraft should not be in a proper or safe position. He triggered the red light after the aircraft was stopped in response by the captain to the manual signals by the man running out from under the aircraft. Later investigation showed that the person who was at the manual control panel for the light system could not see the guide lines on the ground nor the aircraft nose gear as his view was blocked by baggage carts. There were other people on the ground who were in view by me who saw that the aircraft had passed the stop sign but gave no warning signals. Another factor was that the light system was somewhat dim due to being subject to bright sun and also being far back from the stop line. There are 2 jetways at gate. The forward one obscures the captain's view of the aircraft left wing and the aft jetway which the left wing hit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED DURING RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC.

Narrative: I WAS AT THE CTLS OF A WDB MANEUVERING TO PARK AT GATE AT HONOLULU INTL ARPT. I WAS GIVEN HAND SIGNALS ONTO THE GATE CTRLINE AND THEN SIGNALED TO CONTINUE WITH THE GATE AUTOMATIC LIGHT SYS TO COMPLETE THE PARK MANEUVER. WHEN I TRANSITIONED ONTO THE LIGHT SYS I OBSERVED THE INDICATIONS THAT I WAS ON THE PROPER ALIGNMENT AND OBSERVED THE GREEN (OK TO PROCEED) LIGHT. AFTER SOME TIME THE LIGHT SYS SWITCHED TO AMBER (PREPARE TO STOP MODE). I CONTINUED AHEAD AT A VERY SLOW RATE AWAITING THE RED STOP LIGHT. THE CTRLINE ALIGN LIGHT STILL SHOWED ME ON OR NEAR GATE CTRLINE. THE NEXT THING I SAW WAS A MAN RUNNING FROM BENEATH THE ACFT SIGNALING A STOP BY HAND SIGNALS. I STOPPED AND THE ACFT WAS THEN PUSHED BACK TO THE PROPER STOP LINE. THE ACFT L WING WAS DAMAGED BY THE AFT OF 2 JETWAYS ON THE ACFT L SIDE. EXAMINATION SHOWED THAT THE ACFT HAD PASSED OR MISSED THE SENSOR THAT TRIGGERS THE RED STOP LIGHT WITHOUT TRIGGERING THE STOP SIGNAL. THERE WAS A MAN IN MY VIEW AT ALL TIMES WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANUALLY SWITCHING ON THE RED STOP LIGHT IF THE ACFT SHOULD NOT BE IN A PROPER OR SAFE POS. HE TRIGGERED THE RED LIGHT AFTER THE ACFT WAS STOPPED IN RESPONSE BY THE CAPT TO THE MANUAL SIGNALS BY THE MAN RUNNING OUT FROM UNDER THE ACFT. LATER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE PERSON WHO WAS AT THE MANUAL CTL PANEL FOR THE LIGHT SYS COULD NOT SEE THE GUIDE LINES ON THE GND NOR THE ACFT NOSE GEAR AS HIS VIEW WAS BLOCKED BY BAGGAGE CARTS. THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE GND WHO WERE IN VIEW BY ME WHO SAW THAT THE ACFT HAD PASSED THE STOP SIGN BUT GAVE NO WARNING SIGNALS. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THAT THE LIGHT SYS WAS SOMEWHAT DIM DUE TO BEING SUBJECT TO BRIGHT SUN AND ALSO BEING FAR BACK FROM THE STOP LINE. THERE ARE 2 JETWAYS AT GATE. THE FORWARD ONE OBSCURES THE CAPT'S VIEW OF THE ACFT L WING AND THE AFT JETWAY WHICH THE L WING HIT.

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.