Captain of air carrier heavy transport struck a ramp light pole during parking.

Attributes
ACN	237080
Time
Date	199303
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
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	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 149 flight time total : 8469 flight time type : 149
ASRS Report	237080
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 105 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 2600
ASRS Report	236771
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	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

Narrative:

After entering the uncontrolled ramp, the captain made a left turn as per the marshaller's instructions. The path followed on the ramp is u-shaped, so after turning left, we would taxi a few yards, then make a right turn to the parking spot. The first officer commented that we seemed to be getting close to the edge of the ramp on the left side of the aircraft, but the captain said there was a wing walker there, so this alleviated the first officer's concern. We taxied a bit further when the aircraft shuddered a bit and seemed to lurch to the left. The captain asked what that was and then said we must have hit something, possibly a chock on the ramp. We continued to taxi following the lead marshaller's signals, made the right turn, and parked. The mechanic on duty informed us that the left wingtip had contacted and knocked over a large light pole.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR HVT STRUCK A RAMP LIGHT POLE DURING PARKING.

Narrative: AFTER ENTERING THE UNCTLED RAMP, THE CAPT MADE A L TURN AS PER THE MARSHALLER'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE PATH FOLLOWED ON THE RAMP IS U-SHAPED, SO AFTER TURNING L, WE WOULD TAXI A FEW YARDS, THEN MAKE A R TURN TO THE PARKING SPOT. THE FO COMMENTED THAT WE SEEMED TO BE GETTING CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE RAMP ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT, BUT THE CAPT SAID THERE WAS A WING WALKER THERE, SO THIS ALLEVIATED THE FO'S CONCERN. WE TAXIED A BIT FURTHER WHEN THE ACFT SHUDDERED A BIT AND SEEMED TO LURCH TO THE L. THE CAPT ASKED WHAT THAT WAS AND THEN SAID WE MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING, POSSIBLY A CHOCK ON THE RAMP. WE CONTINUED TO TAXI FOLLOWING THE LEAD MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS, MADE THE R TURN, AND PARKED. THE MECH ON DUTY INFORMED US THAT THE L WINGTIP HAD CONTACTED AND KNOCKED OVER A LARGE LIGHT POLE.

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.