Narrative:

Upon clearing runway 16 at delta taxiway, ground control cleared us to the gate. At this point we contacted westchester ramp control 122.95. Ramp control assigned us to 'gate with the agent.' at this point we made a left turn on taxiway echo which runs parallel to the runway. From here to park at gate 1 requires approximately a 120 degree turn to the right. There are 4 gates at the terminal with lines painted on the ground to indicate the appropriate gate. Taxiing on echo to the northwest we could plainly see we were the only aircraft on the ramp and we visually found our marshaller right away. It is normal operation to pull parallel to the gate lines painted on the ground to allow all gates to be used at same time. From here we had visual contact with the gate on line and the marshaller. He instructed us to initiate a right turn. This started us into and on the gate line. About 90 degrees into the turn, our left propeller struck something at about the same time the marshaller gave us the emergency brake signal. The left engine was shut down, the debris was removed and we continued another 40 to 50 ft to the gate. What we had hit were approximately 18 inch high metal barriers (saw horses). They had a small blinking yellow light on top of them. These lights are very dim and with the back lighting from the terminal reflecting off the wet ramp these barriers are not properly illuminated. From the terminal the barriers are visible with the lights from the terminal building, parking lot lights, etc, but from the taxiway they are virtually invisible against a wet ramp. I think they should have had much brighter lights on these barriers. Ramp control should have cautioned us when we were assigned to gate, and the marshaller should have taken a lot more care to ensure safe separation. Supplemental information from acn 230116: it should be noted that there have been 8 ground strike incidents at hpn in 6 months.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L PROP STRIKES A BARRIER WHILE ACFT IS PARKING AT GATE.

Narrative: UPON CLRING RWY 16 AT DELTA TXWY, GND CTL CLRED US TO THE GATE. AT THIS POINT WE CONTACTED WESTCHESTER RAMP CTL 122.95. RAMP CTL ASSIGNED US TO 'GATE WITH THE AGENT.' AT THIS POINT WE MADE A L TURN ON TXWY ECHO WHICH RUNS PARALLEL TO THE RWY. FROM HERE TO PARK AT GATE 1 REQUIRES APPROX A 120 DEG TURN TO THE R. THERE ARE 4 GATES AT THE TERMINAL WITH LINES PAINTED ON THE GND TO INDICATE THE APPROPRIATE GATE. TAXIING ON ECHO TO THE NW WE COULD PLAINLY SEE WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT ON THE RAMP AND WE VISUALLY FOUND OUR MARSHALLER RIGHT AWAY. IT IS NORMAL OP TO PULL PARALLEL TO THE GATE LINES PAINTED ON THE GND TO ALLOW ALL GATES TO BE USED AT SAME TIME. FROM HERE WE HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GATE ON LINE AND THE MARSHALLER. HE INSTRUCTED US TO INITIATE A R TURN. THIS STARTED US INTO AND ON THE GATE LINE. ABOUT 90 DEGS INTO THE TURN, OUR L PROP STRUCK SOMETHING AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE MARSHALLER GAVE US THE EMER BRAKE SIGNAL. THE L ENG WAS SHUT DOWN, THE DEBRIS WAS REMOVED AND WE CONTINUED ANOTHER 40 TO 50 FT TO THE GATE. WHAT WE HAD HIT WERE APPROX 18 INCH HIGH METAL BARRIERS (SAW HORSES). THEY HAD A SMALL BLINKING YELLOW LIGHT ON TOP OF THEM. THESE LIGHTS ARE VERY DIM AND WITH THE BACK LIGHTING FROM THE TERMINAL REFLECTING OFF THE WET RAMP THESE BARRIERS ARE NOT PROPERLY ILLUMINATED. FROM THE TERMINAL THE BARRIERS ARE VISIBLE WITH THE LIGHTS FROM THE TERMINAL BUILDING, PARKING LOT LIGHTS, ETC, BUT FROM THE TXWY THEY ARE VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE AGAINST A WET RAMP. I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD MUCH BRIGHTER LIGHTS ON THESE BARRIERS. RAMP CTL SHOULD HAVE CAUTIONED US WHEN WE WERE ASSIGNED TO GATE, AND THE MARSHALLER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A LOT MORE CARE TO ENSURE SAFE SEPARATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 230116: IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 8 GND STRIKE INCIDENTS AT HPN IN 6 MONTHS.

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.