Aircraft damaged in ramp operation aircraft parking procedure.

Attributes
ACN	293402
Time
Date	199412
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
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	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	293402
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

B737 struck parked belt loader with starboard #2 engine cowling when aircraft nose was 10-15 ft shy of jetway. Both pilots failed to notice the belt loader and were under 'come ahead' signal of ground personnel using lighted flashlight wands. Reporter feels that ramp spot lights causes a partial blinding effect in the cockpit, leading to extra reliance on marshaller's signals. Also, a lack of painted stripes on the ramp let a loader belt to be 'prepositioned' in the danger area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED IN RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC.

Narrative: B737 STRUCK PARKED BELT LOADER WITH STARBOARD #2 ENG COWLING WHEN ACFT NOSE WAS 10-15 FT SHY OF JETWAY. BOTH PLTS FAILED TO NOTICE THE BELT LOADER AND WERE UNDER 'COME AHEAD' SIGNAL OF GND PERSONNEL USING LIGHTED FLASHLIGHT WANDS. RPTR FEELS THAT RAMP SPOT LIGHTS CAUSES A PARTIAL BLINDING EFFECT IN THE COCKPIT, LEADING TO EXTRA RELIANCE ON MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS. ALSO, A LACK OF PAINTED STRIPES ON THE RAMP LET A LOADER BELT TO BE 'PREPOSITIONED' IN THE DANGER AREA.

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.