Narrative:

After landing, I called sfo operations via radio to confirm the gate for our flight. Operations said gate X is confirmed, but they are not sure if the lights are working or not, so look for a guideman. The captain turned the corner towards the gate and saw that no lights were on, so he stopped the aircraft. I called station operations again and said that we needed a guideman. While I was talking, I saw a mechanic running toward the gate area, who turned the lights on, then off, then on again, so I told operations that we now had someone there. I believe that when the lights first went on, the green light as well as the guidance lights were on, and that's the time the captain started to add a little power to taxi forward. Shortly thereafter all the lights went off momentarily and then back on again. After glancing at them, I went inside to monitor the aircraft speed. The captain taxied slowly forward following the guide lights. I called his speed of 2 KTS and continued to monitor his speed, which did not exceed 2 KTS. Next we heard or felt a slight rumbling or shudder and captain stopped the aircraft. Comment and recommendations: turning back on parts of a partially inoperative lighting system is a real trap that a crew, awake for essentially all of a 26-28 hour time period, can fall for -- particularly if the crew is given, initially, a 'good' lighting indication. If parts should fail at night, turn everything off, during the day, turn off guidance and have a large flashing red 'stop' light.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC STRIKES THE JETWAY WITH THE L WING WHILE TAXIING IN AT SFO. THE LEAD-IN LIGHT DEVICE WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND THE MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS WERE NOT EFFECTIVE. THE L WING WAS DAMAGED.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG, I CALLED SFO OPS VIA RADIO TO CONFIRM THE GATE FOR OUR FLT. OPS SAID GATE X IS CONFIRMED, BUT THEY ARE NOT SURE IF THE LIGHTS ARE WORKING OR NOT, SO LOOK FOR A GUIDEMAN. THE CAPT TURNED THE CORNER TOWARDS THE GATE AND SAW THAT NO LIGHTS WERE ON, SO HE STOPPED THE ACFT. I CALLED STATION OPS AGAIN AND SAID THAT WE NEEDED A GUIDEMAN. WHILE I WAS TALKING, I SAW A MECH RUNNING TOWARD THE GATE AREA, WHO TURNED THE LIGHTS ON, THEN OFF, THEN ON AGAIN, SO I TOLD OPS THAT WE NOW HAD SOMEONE THERE. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN THE LIGHTS FIRST WENT ON, THE GREEN LIGHT AS WELL AS THE GUIDANCE LIGHTS WERE ON, AND THAT'S THE TIME THE CAPT STARTED TO ADD A LITTLE PWR TO TAXI FORWARD. SHORTLY THEREAFTER ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OFF MOMENTARILY AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN. AFTER GLANCING AT THEM, I WENT INSIDE TO MONITOR THE ACFT SPD. THE CAPT TAXIED SLOWLY FORWARD FOLLOWING THE GUIDE LIGHTS. I CALLED HIS SPD OF 2 KTS AND CONTINUED TO MONITOR HIS SPD, WHICH DID NOT EXCEED 2 KTS. NEXT WE HEARD OR FELT A SLIGHT RUMBLING OR SHUDDER AND CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT. COMMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS: TURNING BACK ON PARTS OF A PARTIALLY INOP LIGHTING SYS IS A REAL TRAP THAT A CREW, AWAKE FOR ESSENTIALLY ALL OF A 26-28 HR TIME PERIOD, CAN FALL FOR -- PARTICULARLY IF THE CREW IS GIVEN, INITIALLY, A 'GOOD' LIGHTING INDICATION. IF PARTS SHOULD FAIL AT NIGHT, TURN EVERYTHING OFF, DURING THE DAY, TURN OFF GUIDANCE AND HAVE A LARGE FLASHING RED 'STOP' LIGHT.

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.