An medium large transport scraped its left wingtip while taxiing into the gate.

Attributes
ACN	220569
Time
Date	199209
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	220569
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	220675
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Upon entering 'alley' for gate X, no ground personnel were visible. Company operations had been advised, at least 4-5 mins prior, of aircraft's arrival. A fueling truck and catering truck were located between the lead-in line for gate X and a parked large transport on gate Y. As the aircraft turned into the parking lane, I noted the proximity of the fuel truck on the left of the aircraft. The captain proceeded cautiously and cleared the fuel truck. I then double-checked clearance on the acfts right. Moments later the left wingtip of our aircraft 'brushed' the catering truck, resulting in minor damage to both. In retrospect, I would say that many, many individuals were to blame in this event. I certainly could have been more help, even if to merely urge caution. Supplemental information from acn 220675: after a long night with many delays, I taxied in to the gate at gla. The area was crowded with a fuel truck to the right and catering truck to the left. Looked like everything was just clear of safety lines. The maintenance personnel who were supposed to park us were nowhere to be found, so I creeped slowly towards gate on the taxi line. I opened left window to watch wingtip and catering truck. A person in the catering truck who was signaling me (my impression was a thumbs up). It looked like the tip would clear and I was expecting the maintenance person on taxi line to start helping me at any moment. Instead, he turned around to put on a headset. About that time wingtip hit truck. Thank goodness, minimal damage to aircraft and truck, but contact nonetheless (wingtip replaced). Looking back, there were many confusing lines painted around gate. Who knows which one is actually the safe line. Person in truck appeared to be of a nationality who may have meant something else by his signal (perhaps he was trying to wave me away). The maintenance person almost appeared to set me up. They are in 30 day cooling off period with company and don't seem to feel the importance of the operation. Don't know if it was intentional, but looking back, that was my impression. Bottom line was, it is still my responsibility and my attempt to expedite resulted in a ground incident. Patience must persist.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MLG SCRAPED ITS L WINGTIP WHILE TAXIING INTO THE GATE.

Narrative: UPON ENTERING 'ALLEY' FOR GATE X, NO GND PERSONNEL WERE VISIBLE. COMPANY OPS HAD BEEN ADVISED, AT LEAST 4-5 MINS PRIOR, OF ACFT'S ARR. A FUELING TRUCK AND CATERING TRUCK WERE LOCATED BTWN THE LEAD-IN LINE FOR GATE X AND A PARKED LGT ON GATE Y. AS THE ACFT TURNED INTO THE PARKING LANE, I NOTED THE PROX OF THE FUEL TRUCK ON THE L OF THE ACFT. THE CAPT PROCEEDED CAUTIOUSLY AND CLRED THE FUEL TRUCK. I THEN DOUBLE-CHKED CLRNC ON THE ACFTS R. MOMENTS LATER THE L WINGTIP OF OUR ACFT 'BRUSHED' THE CATERING TRUCK, RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE TO BOTH. IN RETROSPECT, I WOULD SAY THAT MANY, MANY INDIVIDUALS WERE TO BLAME IN THIS EVENT. I CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN MORE HELP, EVEN IF TO MERELY URGE CAUTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 220675: AFTER A LONG NIGHT WITH MANY DELAYS, I TAXIED IN TO THE GATE AT GLA. THE AREA WAS CROWDED WITH A FUEL TRUCK TO THE R AND CATERING TRUCK TO THE L. LOOKED LIKE EVERYTHING WAS JUST CLR OF SAFETY LINES. THE MAINT PERSONNEL WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO PARK US WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND, SO I CREEPED SLOWLY TOWARDS GATE ON THE TAXI LINE. I OPENED L WINDOW TO WATCH WINGTIP AND CATERING TRUCK. A PERSON IN THE CATERING TRUCK WHO WAS SIGNALING ME (MY IMPRESSION WAS A THUMBS UP). IT LOOKED LIKE THE TIP WOULD CLR AND I WAS EXPECTING THE MAINT PERSON ON TAXI LINE TO START HELPING ME AT ANY MOMENT. INSTEAD, HE TURNED AROUND TO PUT ON A HEADSET. ABOUT THAT TIME WINGTIP HIT TRUCK. THANK GOODNESS, MINIMAL DAMAGE TO ACFT AND TRUCK, BUT CONTACT NONETHELESS (WINGTIP REPLACED). LOOKING BACK, THERE WERE MANY CONFUSING LINES PAINTED AROUND GATE. WHO KNOWS WHICH ONE IS ACTUALLY THE SAFE LINE. PERSON IN TRUCK APPEARED TO BE OF A NATIONALITY WHO MAY HAVE MEANT SOMETHING ELSE BY HIS SIGNAL (PERHAPS HE WAS TRYING TO WAVE ME AWAY). THE MAINT PERSON ALMOST APPEARED TO SET ME UP. THEY ARE IN 30 DAY COOLING OFF PERIOD WITH COMPANY AND DON'T SEEM TO FEEL THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OP. DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS INTENTIONAL, BUT LOOKING BACK, THAT WAS MY IMPRESSION. BOTTOM LINE WAS, IT IS STILL MY RESPONSIBILITY AND MY ATTEMPT TO EXPEDITE RESULTED IN A GND INCIDENT. PATIENCE MUST PERSIST.

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.