Narrative:

Taxiing on the cargo ramp parallel to the southern edge with marshaller assistance, the left wing struck a metal light pole resulting in damage to the outboard leading edge slat and destruction of the pole and lights. Reserve captain not familiar with the ramp maneuvered onto the ramp based on anticipated parking depicted on diagram, in a fashion not anticipated by marshaller, and too close to the southern edge of the ramp. Marshaller providing direction was 420 ft to the aircraft front and pole that was struck. Continued to signal straight ahead until after impact with the pole. Captain misjudged wingtip clearance initially then realized pole was very close. Captain took action too late to prevent impact (right turn away from poles) and/or took inappropriate corrective action (failed to come to stop) because he overestimated marshaller's ability to clear the aircraft at that distance. Captain failed to properly divide his attention between operating the aircraft, monitoring marshaller, and figuring out parking scheme on the unmarked ramp. Speed at impact approximately 5 KTS. Prevention: operating the aircraft must remain first priority in flight and on the ground. All else is secondary. Monitor actions of marshaller and xchk. If uncomfortable, stop the aircraft, know his limits! Obstacles in close proximity to load-bearing ramps should be depicted on ramp diagrams, if not moved. If standardized taxi-in procedures are expected, mark the ramp or indicate that on ramp diagrams. Position marshallers so that they can judge distance, relative position and closure rates. Supplemental information from acn 342415: marshaller was not in the correct position to be marshalling the aircraft, he was also looking into the sun. There were no lead in lines, nor any taxi lines painted on the ramp. The pole that was struck is offset from the rest of the light poles, creating a depth perception problem for the marshaller and the crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L WINGTIP STRUCK LIGHT POLE DAMAGING WINGTIP AND LEADING EDGE SLAT.

Narrative: TAXIING ON THE CARGO RAMP PARALLEL TO THE SOUTHERN EDGE WITH MARSHALLER ASSISTANCE, THE L WING STRUCK A METAL LIGHT POLE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE SLAT AND DESTRUCTION OF THE POLE AND LIGHTS. RESERVE CAPT NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE RAMP MANEUVERED ONTO THE RAMP BASED ON ANTICIPATED PARKING DEPICTED ON DIAGRAM, IN A FASHION NOT ANTICIPATED BY MARSHALLER, AND TOO CLOSE TO THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE RAMP. MARSHALLER PROVIDING DIRECTION WAS 420 FT TO THE ACFT FRONT AND POLE THAT WAS STRUCK. CONTINUED TO SIGNAL STRAIGHT AHEAD UNTIL AFTER IMPACT WITH THE POLE. CAPT MISJUDGED WINGTIP CLRNC INITIALLY THEN REALIZED POLE WAS VERY CLOSE. CAPT TOOK ACTION TOO LATE TO PREVENT IMPACT (R TURN AWAY FROM POLES) AND/OR TOOK INAPPROPRIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION (FAILED TO COME TO STOP) BECAUSE HE OVERESTIMATED MARSHALLER'S ABILITY TO CLR THE ACFT AT THAT DISTANCE. CAPT FAILED TO PROPERLY DIVIDE HIS ATTN BTWN OPERATING THE ACFT, MONITORING MARSHALLER, AND FIGURING OUT PARKING SCHEME ON THE UNMARKED RAMP. SPD AT IMPACT APPROX 5 KTS. PREVENTION: OPERATING THE ACFT MUST REMAIN FIRST PRIORITY IN FLT AND ON THE GND. ALL ELSE IS SECONDARY. MONITOR ACTIONS OF MARSHALLER AND XCHK. IF UNCOMFORTABLE, STOP THE ACFT, KNOW HIS LIMITS! OBSTACLES IN CLOSE PROX TO LOAD-BEARING RAMPS SHOULD BE DEPICTED ON RAMP DIAGRAMS, IF NOT MOVED. IF STANDARDIZED TAXI-IN PROCS ARE EXPECTED, MARK THE RAMP OR INDICATE THAT ON RAMP DIAGRAMS. POS MARSHALLERS SO THAT THEY CAN JUDGE DISTANCE, RELATIVE POS AND CLOSURE RATES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 342415: MARSHALLER WAS NOT IN THE CORRECT POS TO BE MARSHALLING THE ACFT, HE WAS ALSO LOOKING INTO THE SUN. THERE WERE NO LEAD IN LINES, NOR ANY TAXI LINES PAINTED ON THE RAMP. THE POLE THAT WAS STRUCK IS OFFSET FROM THE REST OF THE LIGHT POLES, CREATING A DEPTH PERCEPTION PROB FOR THE MARSHALLER AND THE CREW.

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.