Narrative:

On entering the ramp for gate xx we observed that the gate area was clear of all obstacles. Then a food truck backed away from door 2R of the aircraft at the adjacent gate, did a backwards 90 degree turn and parked facing us. I slowed the aircraft as the wingtip clearance looked tight. The parking guideman waved us to continue ahead, issued one correction to the right, and then continued waving us straight ahead. Another ramp man appeared from the forward area of the gate xy aircraft to act as a wing walker. He then raised his arms to indicate a clearance of 4-5 ft. I then looked to the wingtip and noted a shower of plexiglass as it contacted the side of the truck almost at the rear door. I stopped and set the brake. The ground tug was then used by station personnel to disengage the wingtip. A short while after all the passenger had deplaned, a passenger came down the jetway to us and offered to be a witness. He stated that he was watching the wing walker and noticed that no change was made to the clearance signal till the wing was halfway along the body of the truck. Suggestions for future events: 1) paint lines on the ramp to note the outline of the aircraft and where vehicles should and should not park, and 2) stop aircraft when in close proximity to ground vehicles regardless of signals to proceed until potential conflicts can be resolved. Supplemental information from acn 344614: a witness from the left side said the wing walker was still giving the all clear signal at the time of impact. I think that guide lines on the ramp for parked vehicles is necessary to help this occurrence in the future. Also it should be determined how to better 'eye' the clearance of the wing for the wing walker, and why they may think the wing will clear, even though it won't. On our part, as always if there is any doubt in clearance the aircraft should be parked until any vehicles are moved, however, we were under positive guidance from the ramp who said it was clear. Damage was only to the navigation light lens cover and its housing. None to the truck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WINGTIP STRIKE ON A COMMISSARY TRUCK NEAR ADJACENT GATE. MARSHALLER AND ONE WING WALKER ASSIGNED. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: ON ENTERING THE RAMP FOR GATE XX WE OBSERVED THAT THE GATE AREA WAS CLR OF ALL OBSTACLES. THEN A FOOD TRUCK BACKED AWAY FROM DOOR 2R OF THE ACFT AT THE ADJACENT GATE, DID A BACKWARDS 90 DEG TURN AND PARKED FACING US. I SLOWED THE ACFT AS THE WINGTIP CLRNC LOOKED TIGHT. THE PARKING GUIDEMAN WAVED US TO CONTINUE AHEAD, ISSUED ONE CORRECTION TO THE R, AND THEN CONTINUED WAVING US STRAIGHT AHEAD. ANOTHER RAMP MAN APPEARED FROM THE FORWARD AREA OF THE GATE XY ACFT TO ACT AS A WING WALKER. HE THEN RAISED HIS ARMS TO INDICATE A CLRNC OF 4-5 FT. I THEN LOOKED TO THE WINGTIP AND NOTED A SHOWER OF PLEXIGLASS AS IT CONTACTED THE SIDE OF THE TRUCK ALMOST AT THE REAR DOOR. I STOPPED AND SET THE BRAKE. THE GND TUG WAS THEN USED BY STATION PERSONNEL TO DISENGAGE THE WINGTIP. A SHORT WHILE AFTER ALL THE PAX HAD DEPLANED, A PAX CAME DOWN THE JETWAY TO US AND OFFERED TO BE A WITNESS. HE STATED THAT HE WAS WATCHING THE WING WALKER AND NOTICED THAT NO CHANGE WAS MADE TO THE CLRNC SIGNAL TILL THE WING WAS HALFWAY ALONG THE BODY OF THE TRUCK. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE EVENTS: 1) PAINT LINES ON THE RAMP TO NOTE THE OUTLINE OF THE ACFT AND WHERE VEHICLES SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT PARK, AND 2) STOP ACFT WHEN IN CLOSE PROX TO GND VEHICLES REGARDLESS OF SIGNALS TO PROCEED UNTIL POTENTIAL CONFLICTS CAN BE RESOLVED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 344614: A WITNESS FROM THE L SIDE SAID THE WING WALKER WAS STILL GIVING THE ALL CLR SIGNAL AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. I THINK THAT GUIDE LINES ON THE RAMP FOR PARKED VEHICLES IS NECESSARY TO HELP THIS OCCURRENCE IN THE FUTURE. ALSO IT SHOULD BE DETERMINED HOW TO BETTER 'EYE' THE CLRNC OF THE WING FOR THE WING WALKER, AND WHY THEY MAY THINK THE WING WILL CLR, EVEN THOUGH IT WON'T. ON OUR PART, AS ALWAYS IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT IN CLRNC THE ACFT SHOULD BE PARKED UNTIL ANY VEHICLES ARE MOVED, HOWEVER, WE WERE UNDER POSITIVE GUIDANCE FROM THE RAMP WHO SAID IT WAS CLR. DAMAGE WAS ONLY TO THE NAV LIGHT LENS COVER AND ITS HOUSING. NONE TO THE TRUCK.

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.