Narrative:

Widebody transport gates at O'hare are crowded by ground support equipment and have red 'safety lines' near the engines to indicate acceptable equipment parking. The lines are dark red, substantially worn off and run through areas of dirty darkened pavement. Although a large cargo loading machine was parked 8 to 10 ft beyond the line, neither my first officer nor myself noticed it due to the above conditions. We had both scanned the gate area for just this sort of hazard. There were 2 mechanics receiving the plane although I was taxiing in on self guide lights. They are also required to verify clearance between equipment and aircraft. The disadvantage of the self parking lights is that there is no pilot/mechanic interaction, so that even if he had noticed the problem at the last minute, he probably couldn't have signaled me in time. They were both under the nose, out of my view. I felt the bump and thought the mechanic had the rubber chocks under the nosewheel, so I stopped. Turning off the guide lights is also a signal for me to stop, but there wasn't time for them to accomplish this. Our safety lines are neither standardized nor maintained in a highly visible condition. We did not see the hazard and #3 engine cowl hit the loader approximately 5 ft short of the gate position. I recommend using more highly identifiable safety lines and maintaining their condition. Contrasting white/red/white is much superior to red only.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE #3 ENG HIT A PARKED VEHICLE WHILE A 727 WAS APCHING THE GATE.

Narrative: WDB GATES AT O'HARE ARE CROWDED BY GND SUPPORT EQUIP AND HAVE RED 'SAFETY LINES' NEAR THE ENGS TO INDICATE ACCEPTABLE EQUIP PARKING. THE LINES ARE DARK RED, SUBSTANTIALLY WORN OFF AND RUN THROUGH AREAS OF DIRTY DARKENED PAVEMENT. ALTHOUGH A LARGE CARGO LOADING MACHINE WAS PARKED 8 TO 10 FT BEYOND THE LINE, NEITHER MY FO NOR MYSELF NOTICED IT DUE TO THE ABOVE CONDITIONS. WE HAD BOTH SCANNED THE GATE AREA FOR JUST THIS SORT OF HAZARD. THERE WERE 2 MECHS RECEIVING THE PLANE ALTHOUGH I WAS TAXIING IN ON SELF GUIDE LIGHTS. THEY ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO VERIFY CLRNC BTWN EQUIP AND ACFT. THE DISADVANTAGE OF THE SELF PARKING LIGHTS IS THAT THERE IS NO PLT/MECH INTERACTION, SO THAT EVEN IF HE HAD NOTICED THE PROB AT THE LAST MINUTE, HE PROBABLY COULDN'T HAVE SIGNALED ME IN TIME. THEY WERE BOTH UNDER THE NOSE, OUT OF MY VIEW. I FELT THE BUMP AND THOUGHT THE MECH HAD THE RUBBER CHOCKS UNDER THE NOSEWHEEL, SO I STOPPED. TURNING OFF THE GUIDE LIGHTS IS ALSO A SIGNAL FOR ME TO STOP, BUT THERE WASN'T TIME FOR THEM TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. OUR SAFETY LINES ARE NEITHER STANDARDIZED NOR MAINTAINED IN A HIGHLY VISIBLE CONDITION. WE DID NOT SEE THE HAZARD AND #3 ENG COWL HIT THE LOADER APPROX 5 FT SHORT OF THE GATE POS. I RECOMMEND USING MORE HIGHLY IDENTIFIABLE SAFETY LINES AND MAINTAINING THEIR CONDITION. CONTRASTING WHITE/RED/WHITE IS MUCH SUPERIOR TO RED ONLY.

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.