Narrative:

During taxi into the ramp, the company ramp control informed us to hold in the throat to wait for marshallers to arrive. 2 marshallers showed up 5 mins later in the position indicated on the back of this page. All equipment and aircraft (plus other vehicles) must be behind the white safety lines. According to the company, all aircraft that taxi on the taxiway centerline will be guaranteed adequate wingtip clearance. The tail of a B757 appeared to be behind the vertical 'plane' of the white 'safety' line. There was a red cone underneath the tail of the B757 to indicate that it was clear. The B747 was dead-on the centerline. Marshaller #1 signalled to start the turn. I was watching the right wingtip throughout the turn. It appeared that we were clear. I stopped the aircraft immediately when I felt a bump and saw pieces coming from both airplanes. The right wingtip struck the horizontal stabilizer of the B757, tearing off the left elevator. Contributing factors: night, weekend operations, lack of adequate marshallers and no wingtip walkers, B747 body gear steering had unlocked (normal) increasing wingtip radius in turn, false sense of security with the B757 behind the white line. Adequate clearance during straight taxi, but not during turn. We were told we would have clearance during any taxi maneuvers. Supplemental information from acn 312185: a parked B757 on right side appeared to be somewhat close to its allowed boundary, and captain queried first officer whether clearance existed to get by. Answer was in the affirmative. No wingwalker on right side. Signal given abeam of B757 to turn left to start parking. Contact felt, brakes applied, aircraft stopped and secured. Voice recorder circuit breaker pulled. Company has concluded that poor handling by marshallers, and substandard parking practices by maintenance tug drivers was the problem. No culpability by flight crew found.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BOTH ACFT DAMAGED WHEN A TAXIING B747 HAS A WINGTIP STRIKE AGAINST A PARKED B757. NIGHT OP.

Narrative: DURING TAXI INTO THE RAMP, THE COMPANY RAMP CTL INFORMED US TO HOLD IN THE THROAT TO WAIT FOR MARSHALLERS TO ARRIVE. 2 MARSHALLERS SHOWED UP 5 MINS LATER IN THE POS INDICATED ON THE BACK OF THIS PAGE. ALL EQUIP AND ACFT (PLUS OTHER VEHICLES) MUST BE BEHIND THE WHITE SAFETY LINES. ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY, ALL ACFT THAT TAXI ON THE TXWY CTRLINE WILL BE GUARANTEED ADEQUATE WINGTIP CLRNC. THE TAIL OF A B757 APPEARED TO BE BEHIND THE VERT 'PLANE' OF THE WHITE 'SAFETY' LINE. THERE WAS A RED CONE UNDERNEATH THE TAIL OF THE B757 TO INDICATE THAT IT WAS CLR. THE B747 WAS DEAD-ON THE CTRLINE. MARSHALLER #1 SIGNALLED TO START THE TURN. I WAS WATCHING THE R WINGTIP THROUGHOUT THE TURN. IT APPEARED THAT WE WERE CLR. I STOPPED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY WHEN I FELT A BUMP AND SAW PIECES COMING FROM BOTH AIRPLANES. THE R WINGTIP STRUCK THE HORIZ STABILIZER OF THE B757, TEARING OFF THE L ELEVATOR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NIGHT, WEEKEND OPS, LACK OF ADEQUATE MARSHALLERS AND NO WINGTIP WALKERS, B747 BODY GEAR STEERING HAD UNLOCKED (NORMAL) INCREASING WINGTIP RADIUS IN TURN, FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY WITH THE B757 BEHIND THE WHITE LINE. ADEQUATE CLRNC DURING STRAIGHT TAXI, BUT NOT DURING TURN. WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD HAVE CLRNC DURING ANY TAXI MANEUVERS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 312185: A PARKED B757 ON R SIDE APPEARED TO BE SOMEWHAT CLOSE TO ITS ALLOWED BOUNDARY, AND CAPT QUERIED FO WHETHER CLRNC EXISTED TO GET BY. ANSWER WAS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. NO WINGWALKER ON R SIDE. SIGNAL GIVEN ABEAM OF B757 TO TURN L TO START PARKING. CONTACT FELT, BRAKES APPLIED, ACFT STOPPED AND SECURED. VOICE RECORDER CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED. COMPANY HAS CONCLUDED THAT POOR HANDLING BY MARSHALLERS, AND SUBSTANDARD PARKING PRACTICES BY MAINT TUG DRIVERS WAS THE PROB. NO CULPABILITY BY FLC FOUND.

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.