Narrative:

While taxiing to gate, aircraft's left wingtip struck a fuel truck that was parked at the next gate area. As my aircraft approached the gate, there was no indication of a potential collision. The captain was following the directions of a signalman at the gate and there was a wingwalker on the right wing. The primary signalman's view of the fuel truck was obstructed by various other service vehicles parked in the area. Until recently, the company has had wingwalkers on both sides of the aircraft, but last week reduced the number of wingwalkers to 1. Possible solutions -- signalmen should not have aircraft proceed to gate unless he can see both wingtips are unobstructed or there are wingwalkers to indicate both wingtips are clear. In this situation, there was only 1 wingwalker and he went to the right wingtip where the next gate was empty of vehicles and aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 216787: signalman and mechanic's view of adjacent aircraft, fuel truck, and our wingtip was blocked by a large parked air conditioner truck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT WINGTIP STRIKE ON FUELING TRUCK. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO GATE, ACFT'S L WINGTIP STRUCK A FUEL TRUCK THAT WAS PARKED AT THE NEXT GATE AREA. AS MY ACFT APCHED THE GATE, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A POTENTIAL COLLISION. THE CAPT WAS FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS OF A SIGNALMAN AT THE GATE AND THERE WAS A WINGWALKER ON THE R WING. THE PRIMARY SIGNALMAN'S VIEW OF THE FUEL TRUCK WAS OBSTRUCTED BY VARIOUS OTHER SVC VEHICLES PARKED IN THE AREA. UNTIL RECENTLY, THE COMPANY HAS HAD WINGWALKERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT, BUT LAST WK REDUCED THE NUMBER OF WINGWALKERS TO 1. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS -- SIGNALMEN SHOULD NOT HAVE ACFT PROCEED TO GATE UNLESS HE CAN SEE BOTH WINGTIPS ARE UNOBSTRUCTED OR THERE ARE WINGWALKERS TO INDICATE BOTH WINGTIPS ARE CLR. IN THIS SITUATION, THERE WAS ONLY 1 WINGWALKER AND HE WENT TO THE R WINGTIP WHERE THE NEXT GATE WAS EMPTY OF VEHICLES AND ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 216787: SIGNALMAN AND MECH'S VIEW OF ADJACENT ACFT, FUEL TRUCK, AND OUR WINGTIP WAS BLOCKED BY A LARGE PARKED AIR CONDITIONER TRUCK.

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.