Narrative:

While parking aircraft at gate aircraft's right engine struck baggage belt loader and ingested rubber wheel chocks. Aircraft was being marshalled to parking spot on lead-in line. The signal person was in view at all times using proper hand signals with wands. All ground service equipment was outside of marked gate area safety zone. Aircraft came to rolling stop. Signal person gave additional command to move forward. Power was added and a noise was heard. Signal person then gave emergency stop signal. At the same time an aircraft was parking at the adjacent gate, the copilot was clearing our aircraft wing and did not see the loader. Engines were shut down and the parking check was completed. Main cause of incident was the failure of the signal person to clear the parking area of all ground service equipment. Additionally the marked gate area safety zone was not for our type aircraft. Recommendations: instruct the signal person that the last few seconds that he spends concentrating on getting us on the mark he must also continue to scan the area and ensure that it's still clear. Remark the gate area safety zone to include all aircraft that regularly use that gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG INVOLVED IN RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC SUFFERS FOD, FOREIGN OBJECT INGESTION DAMAGE.

Narrative: WHILE PARKING ACFT AT GATE ACFT'S R ENG STRUCK BAGGAGE BELT LOADER AND INGESTED RUBBER WHEEL CHOCKS. ACFT WAS BEING MARSHALLED TO PARKING SPOT ON LEAD-IN LINE. THE SIGNAL PERSON WAS IN VIEW AT ALL TIMES USING PROPER HAND SIGNALS WITH WANDS. ALL GND SVC EQUIP WAS OUTSIDE OF MARKED GATE AREA SAFETY ZONE. ACFT CAME TO ROLLING STOP. SIGNAL PERSON GAVE ADDITIONAL COMMAND TO MOVE FORWARD. PWR WAS ADDED AND A NOISE WAS HEARD. SIGNAL PERSON THEN GAVE EMER STOP SIGNAL. AT THE SAME TIME AN ACFT WAS PARKING AT THE ADJACENT GATE, THE COPLT WAS CLRING OUR ACFT WING AND DID NOT SEE THE LOADER. ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN AND THE PARKING CHK WAS COMPLETED. MAIN CAUSE OF INCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE SIGNAL PERSON TO CLR THE PARKING AREA OF ALL GND SVC EQUIP. ADDITIONALLY THE MARKED GATE AREA SAFETY ZONE WAS NOT FOR OUR TYPE ACFT. RECOMMENDATIONS: INSTRUCT THE SIGNAL PERSON THAT THE LAST FEW SECONDS THAT HE SPENDS CONCENTRATING ON GETTING US ON THE MARK HE MUST ALSO CONTINUE TO SCAN THE AREA AND ENSURE THAT IT'S STILL CLR. REMARK THE GATE AREA SAFETY ZONE TO INCLUDE ALL ACFT THAT REGULARLY USE THAT GATE.

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.