Narrative:

After landing at mke we were taxiing into gate at the general mitchell airport. Pulling into the gate our left wing ran into a tug as we were coming to a stop. We were informed of the collision by passenger as they exited the aircraft. We could not feel the impact in the cockpit. On inspection we found a tug had been parked in the unsafe zone. Our airline has red and white lines that outline a plane's shape and are supposed to remain free from ground equipment so this type of incident does not occur. We simply followed the marshaller's commands into the gate and assumed he knew it was all clear for our arrival. In the DC9 we cannot really tell how close things are to wings. Factors involved are as follows: 1) lack of wing walkers. Only 1 signalman leading us into the gate in front of nose of aircraft. Gate may have blocked his view of tug in unsafe zone. 2) wet ramp may have impaired our depth perception and view of safety lines so we didn't notice the close proximity of tug. 3) we obviously placed too much trust in lone marshaller. Should have wing walkers. 4) short taxi time after landing runway 1L and exiting at taxiway M gives me just 2 mins or less for required radio calls and checklist, so I wasn't devoting enough time outside aircraft to assist captain coming into gate. 5) someone left tug parked inside aircraft boundary lines which were designed to keep this type of thing from happening.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC9 TAXIED INTO A TUG DURING PARKING CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO 1 WING OF THE ACFT. THE TUG WAS PARKED INSIDE OF THE ACFT PARKING LINES AND THE 1 GND HANDLER DID NOT SEE IT, NOR DID THE PLTS. PAX BROUGHT THIS INCIDENT TO THE ATTN OF THE FLC DURING DEPLANING.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT MKE WE WERE TAXIING INTO GATE AT THE GENERAL MITCHELL ARPT. PULLING INTO THE GATE OUR L WING RAN INTO A TUG AS WE WERE COMING TO A STOP. WE WERE INFORMED OF THE COLLISION BY PAX AS THEY EXITED THE ACFT. WE COULD NOT FEEL THE IMPACT IN THE COCKPIT. ON INSPECTION WE FOUND A TUG HAD BEEN PARKED IN THE UNSAFE ZONE. OUR AIRLINE HAS RED AND WHITE LINES THAT OUTLINE A PLANE'S SHAPE AND ARE SUPPOSED TO REMAIN FREE FROM GND EQUIP SO THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT DOES NOT OCCUR. WE SIMPLY FOLLOWED THE MARSHALLER'S COMMANDS INTO THE GATE AND ASSUMED HE KNEW IT WAS ALL CLR FOR OUR ARR. IN THE DC9 WE CANNOT REALLY TELL HOW CLOSE THINGS ARE TO WINGS. FACTORS INVOLVED ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) LACK OF WING WALKERS. ONLY 1 SIGNALMAN LEADING US INTO THE GATE IN FRONT OF NOSE OF ACFT. GATE MAY HAVE BLOCKED HIS VIEW OF TUG IN UNSAFE ZONE. 2) WET RAMP MAY HAVE IMPAIRED OUR DEPTH PERCEPTION AND VIEW OF SAFETY LINES SO WE DIDN'T NOTICE THE CLOSE PROX OF TUG. 3) WE OBVIOUSLY PLACED TOO MUCH TRUST IN LONE MARSHALLER. SHOULD HAVE WING WALKERS. 4) SHORT TAXI TIME AFTER LNDG RWY 1L AND EXITING AT TXWY M GIVES ME JUST 2 MINS OR LESS FOR REQUIRED RADIO CALLS AND CHKLIST, SO I WASN'T DEVOTING ENOUGH TIME OUTSIDE ACFT TO ASSIST CAPT COMING INTO GATE. 5) SOMEONE LEFT TUG PARKED INSIDE ACFT BOUNDARY LINES WHICH WERE DESIGNED TO KEEP THIS TYPE OF THING FROM HAPPENING.

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.