Narrative:

While taxiing in to gate, noticed cargo loader parked near jetway. Safety lines, used by company for positioning support equipment, were obscured by snow and frost, but cargo loader appeared to be outside line. We were expecting to stop short of jetway, since we were in combination confign with 2 pallets forward, and passenger would be exiting via aft airstairs. However, marshaller directed us all the way in to the jetway, and I lost sight of the cargo loader as we came even with the jetway. Parking at the jetway is not too unusual in combination confign, as we sometimes reconfigure to send the next flight out with all passenger. After shutting down, completing our checklists, and getting out of the airplane, we were informed that the left wing leading edge, outboard of the #1 engine, had contacted the cargo loader, damaging the #3 slat. Fortunately the aircraft was almost stopped when contact was made (we heard and felt nothing in the cockpit). Contributing factors were: 1) cargo loader improperly parked, 2) marshaller was not assigned to this flight, and was not aware of confign. Aircraft should have been stopped short of the jetway for ease of cargo unloading and loading, 3) safety lines and taxi line obscured by snow and frost, 4) no wing walkers on hand, 5) pilot's violation of his own rule (personal, not company rule) to stop and wait for wing walkers in tight taxi situation, and 6) marshaller could not see cargo loader from his position, as his view was blocked by jetway (another reason why wing walkers should be mandatory at this gate). Recommendations: 1) reemphasize importance of properly positioning ground equipment, 2) wing walkers should be required for every arrival at gate X, 3) more effort should be put into keeping lines clear and visible, 4) pilots should stop and wait for wing walkers if they are not immediately available, and 5) when in doubt, or if clearance is marginal, stop, until qualified ground crew verify safe clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR FOLLOWS MARSHALLER'S GUIDANCE INTO CARGO LOADER.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING IN TO GATE, NOTICED CARGO LOADER PARKED NEAR JETWAY. SAFETY LINES, USED BY COMPANY FOR POSITIONING SUPPORT EQUIP, WERE OBSCURED BY SNOW AND FROST, BUT CARGO LOADER APPEARED TO BE OUTSIDE LINE. WE WERE EXPECTING TO STOP SHORT OF JETWAY, SINCE WE WERE IN COMBINATION CONFIGN WITH 2 PALLETS FORWARD, AND PAX WOULD BE EXITING VIA AFT AIRSTAIRS. HOWEVER, MARSHALLER DIRECTED US ALL THE WAY IN TO THE JETWAY, AND I LOST SIGHT OF THE CARGO LOADER AS WE CAME EVEN WITH THE JETWAY. PARKING AT THE JETWAY IS NOT TOO UNUSUAL IN COMBINATION CONFIGN, AS WE SOMETIMES RECONFIGURE TO SEND THE NEXT FLT OUT WITH ALL PAX. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN, COMPLETING OUR CHKLISTS, AND GETTING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE L WING LEADING EDGE, OUTBOARD OF THE #1 ENG, HAD CONTACTED THE CARGO LOADER, DAMAGING THE #3 SLAT. FORTUNATELY THE ACFT WAS ALMOST STOPPED WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE (WE HEARD AND FELT NOTHING IN THE COCKPIT). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) CARGO LOADER IMPROPERLY PARKED, 2) MARSHALLER WAS NOT ASSIGNED TO THIS FLT, AND WAS NOT AWARE OF CONFIGN. ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED SHORT OF THE JETWAY FOR EASE OF CARGO UNLOADING AND LOADING, 3) SAFETY LINES AND TAXI LINE OBSCURED BY SNOW AND FROST, 4) NO WING WALKERS ON HAND, 5) PLT'S VIOLATION OF HIS OWN RULE (PERSONAL, NOT COMPANY RULE) TO STOP AND WAIT FOR WING WALKERS IN TIGHT TAXI SIT, AND 6) MARSHALLER COULD NOT SEE CARGO LOADER FROM HIS POS, AS HIS VIEW WAS BLOCKED BY JETWAY (ANOTHER REASON WHY WING WALKERS SHOULD BE MANDATORY AT THIS GATE). RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) REEMPHASIZE IMPORTANCE OF PROPERLY POSITIONING GND EQUIP, 2) WING WALKERS SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR EVERY ARR AT GATE X, 3) MORE EFFORT SHOULD BE PUT INTO KEEPING LINES CLR AND VISIBLE, 4) PLTS SHOULD STOP AND WAIT FOR WING WALKERS IF THEY ARE NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE, AND 5) WHEN IN DOUBT, OR IF CLRNC IS MARGINAL, STOP, UNTIL QUALIFIED GND CREW VERIFY SAFE CLRNC.

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.