Narrative:

On taxi into parking ramp, we had to pass between 2 parked aircraft -- a B727 on the left, a C130 on the right. Company marshaller and 2 wingwalkers came out to airplane. First officer opened his window and stuck his head out for better view. Marshaller was left of our nose and well in front of aircraft. Left wing walker was also in plain sight and ahead of aircraft. Taxiing slowly the marshaller was signaling straight ahead, the first officer was out his window with his left hand on glareshield with thumb up. As I felt a slight bump I stepped on the brakes. The first officer (and check airman sitting in jumpseat) said 'stop.' marshaller ran toward right wing and gave shutdown sign. Wingtips were overlapped approximately 1 ft. Fuel was transferred to lean airplane away from damaged wing and aircraft towed in. Mishap occurred at XO15. Captain and flight engineer started duty at XA00 the day prior. Duty time does not include deadhead of approximately 3 hour airline ride to begin duty. (Company considers half of directed deadhead toward duty time as per union contract.) had I been more rested and alert I would have stopped aircraft and waited for marshaller to move to the right, where he could have seen right wing walker. First officer had been on duty 9 hours and routinely flies out of atlanta, so I had confidence in his knowledge of local procedure and personnel. He claimed 'it looked close so I watched the walker.' other station personnel remarked that there had been numerous complaints with marshalling there previously. Wing walker said 'it looked like it would clear, it cleared the tail.' ground personnel do not receive any formal training that I am aware of -- they are not paid commensurably with responsibility of experience required of their position.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC8-55 HIT THEIR WINGTIP ON THE WING OF A C130 DURING TAXI TO PARKING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THEIR WINGTIP AND THE WING OF THE C130. MARSHALLERS AND WINGMAN WERE NO HELP.

Narrative: ON TAXI INTO PARKING RAMP, WE HAD TO PASS BTWN 2 PARKED ACFT -- A B727 ON THE L, A C130 ON THE R. COMPANY MARSHALLER AND 2 WINGWALKERS CAME OUT TO AIRPLANE. FO OPENED HIS WINDOW AND STUCK HIS HEAD OUT FOR BETTER VIEW. MARSHALLER WAS LEFT OF OUR NOSE AND WELL IN FRONT OF ACFT. L WING WALKER WAS ALSO IN PLAIN SIGHT AND AHEAD OF ACFT. TAXIING SLOWLY THE MARSHALLER WAS SIGNALING STRAIGHT AHEAD, THE FO WAS OUT HIS WINDOW WITH HIS L HAND ON GLARESHIELD WITH THUMB UP. AS I FELT A SLIGHT BUMP I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES. THE FO (AND CHK AIRMAN SITTING IN JUMPSEAT) SAID 'STOP.' MARSHALLER RAN TOWARD R WING AND GAVE SHUTDOWN SIGN. WINGTIPS WERE OVERLAPPED APPROX 1 FT. FUEL WAS TRANSFERRED TO LEAN AIRPLANE AWAY FROM DAMAGED WING AND ACFT TOWED IN. MISHAP OCCURRED AT XO15. CAPT AND FE STARTED DUTY AT XA00 THE DAY PRIOR. DUTY TIME DOES NOT INCLUDE DEADHEAD OF APPROX 3 HR AIRLINE RIDE TO BEGIN DUTY. (COMPANY CONSIDERS HALF OF DIRECTED DEADHEAD TOWARD DUTY TIME AS PER UNION CONTRACT.) HAD I BEEN MORE RESTED AND ALERT I WOULD HAVE STOPPED ACFT AND WAITED FOR MARSHALLER TO MOVE TO THE R, WHERE HE COULD HAVE SEEN R WING WALKER. FO HAD BEEN ON DUTY 9 HRS AND ROUTINELY FLIES OUT OF ATLANTA, SO I HAD CONFIDENCE IN HIS KNOWLEDGE OF LCL PROC AND PERSONNEL. HE CLAIMED 'IT LOOKED CLOSE SO I WATCHED THE WALKER.' OTHER STATION PERSONNEL REMARKED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS WITH MARSHALLING THERE PREVIOUSLY. WING WALKER SAID 'IT LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD CLR, IT CLRED THE TAIL.' GND PERSONNEL DO NOT RECEIVE ANY FORMAL TRAINING THAT I AM AWARE OF -- THEY ARE NOT PAID COMMENSURABLY WITH RESPONSIBILITY OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED OF THEIR POS.

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.