Engine cowl hit catering truck.

Attributes
ACN	291935
Time
Date	199412
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 74 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 2079
ASRS Report	291935
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon arrival lax, I was assigned gate Y. As I turned onto the lead-in line, a mechanic was giving a thumbs-up signal and continued to do so until he disappeared under the nose of the aircraft. The lead-in lights were barely visible due to the morning sun. As the stop bars were approached, I observed they were not illuminated and stopped the airplane 12 to 18 inches short, however the #4 engine cowl had contacted a food truck which put a 6 to 8 inch long dent in the cowl. It did not puncture the skin. The food truck had a flat tire and was abandoned by the driver. I believe contributing to this incident was the mechanic giving me a thumbs-up signal. The morning sun obscuring the lead-in lights, and my first officer not visually clearing the gate parking area. I also had 2 relief pilots sitting on the jumpseats, who did not see the disabled truck.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG COWL HIT CATERING TRUCK.

Narrative: UPON ARR LAX, I WAS ASSIGNED GATE Y. AS I TURNED ONTO THE LEAD-IN LINE, A MECH WAS GIVING A THUMBS-UP SIGNAL AND CONTINUED TO DO SO UNTIL HE DISAPPEARED UNDER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS WERE BARELY VISIBLE DUE TO THE MORNING SUN. AS THE STOP BARS WERE APCHED, I OBSERVED THEY WERE NOT ILLUMINATED AND STOPPED THE AIRPLANE 12 TO 18 INCHES SHORT, HOWEVER THE #4 ENG COWL HAD CONTACTED A FOOD TRUCK WHICH PUT A 6 TO 8 INCH LONG DENT IN THE COWL. IT DID NOT PUNCTURE THE SKIN. THE FOOD TRUCK HAD A FLAT TIRE AND WAS ABANDONED BY THE DRIVER. I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT WAS THE MECH GIVING ME A THUMBS-UP SIGNAL. THE MORNING SUN OBSCURING THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS, AND MY FO NOT VISUALLY CLRING THE GATE PARKING AREA. I ALSO HAD 2 RELIEF PLTS SITTING ON THE JUMPSEATS, WHO DID NOT SEE THE DISABLED TRUCK.

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.