Narrative:

WX at the time was overcast ceiling about 1000 ft with visibility 2-3 mi and snow/blowing snow. We were making a right hand turn with a marshaller using lighted wands. A large push tug was parked against the jetway stanchion. The tug appeared to be far enough forward to not be a problem for parking. Since the inboard wing area and engine is not visible from the cockpit, we continued forward following the marshaller's signals. About 2 ft short of the final desired parking space, and at a very slow speed, the aircraft quit moving forward. The marshaller continued to signal a come forward signal, but the aircraft would not move. The captain and I commented that we were either in a rut or someone had installed a wheel chock. The marshaller signaled an engine shutdown and on post-flight inspection, maintenance discovered that the aircraft #1 left lower engine cowling had impacted the parked tug, resulting in the cowling being slightly bent inward and a hole being made about 6 inches in diameter in the same location. Maintenance and engineering installed a temporary repair and the aircraft was ferried by us to kmsp for further maintenance. No problems occurred on the ferry flight home (kmsp). Supplemental information from acn 235106: ramp was covered with snow and obscured clear zone area. 2 cones were improperly positioned, they were placed too far out into parking area. This made the position of the tug appear to be clear of parking area. 1 ft short of the normal parking area, contact was made with the parked tug.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG TAXIED INTO A TUG WHILE PARKING.

Narrative: WX AT THE TIME WAS OVCST CEILING ABOUT 1000 FT WITH VISIBILITY 2-3 MI AND SNOW/BLOWING SNOW. WE WERE MAKING A R HAND TURN WITH A MARSHALLER USING LIGHTED WANDS. A LARGE PUSH TUG WAS PARKED AGAINST THE JETWAY STANCHION. THE TUG APPEARED TO BE FAR ENOUGH FORWARD TO NOT BE A PROB FOR PARKING. SINCE THE INBOARD WING AREA AND ENG IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT, WE CONTINUED FORWARD FOLLOWING THE MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS. ABOUT 2 FT SHORT OF THE FINAL DESIRED PARKING SPACE, AND AT A VERY SLOW SPD, THE ACFT QUIT MOVING FORWARD. THE MARSHALLER CONTINUED TO SIGNAL A COME FORWARD SIGNAL, BUT THE ACFT WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CAPT AND I COMMENTED THAT WE WERE EITHER IN A RUT OR SOMEONE HAD INSTALLED A WHEEL CHOCK. THE MARSHALLER SIGNALED AN ENG SHUTDOWN AND ON POST-FLT INSPECTION, MAINT DISCOVERED THAT THE ACFT #1 L LOWER ENG COWLING HAD IMPACTED THE PARKED TUG, RESULTING IN THE COWLING BEING SLIGHTLY BENT INWARD AND A HOLE BEING MADE ABOUT 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER IN THE SAME LOCATION. MAINT AND ENGINEERING INSTALLED A TEMPORARY REPAIR AND THE ACFT WAS FERRIED BY US TO KMSP FOR FURTHER MAINT. NO PROBS OCCURRED ON THE FERRY FLT HOME (KMSP). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 235106: RAMP WAS COVERED WITH SNOW AND OBSCURED CLR ZONE AREA. 2 CONES WERE IMPROPERLY POSITIONED, THEY WERE PLACED TOO FAR OUT INTO PARKING AREA. THIS MADE THE POS OF THE TUG APPEAR TO BE CLR OF PARKING AREA. 1 FT SHORT OF THE NORMAL PARKING AREA, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE PARKED TUG.

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.