An air carrier B727 flight crew being marshaled into the gate, at night, by wing walkers and a taxi ...

Attributes
ACN	347054
Time
Date	199609
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	347054
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Arriving at gate in dca, aircraft was being directed at night towards jetway. I was following lead-in line to gate under control of ground taxi director. An aircraft was parked at an adjacent gate and was being fueled. I observed at least a complement of 4 ground handlers including 1 man who stationed himself at the rear of the fuel truck. I realized I would have to closely follow handling instructions as I proceeded to gate. Truck spotter on left side gave me a continuous thumbs-up clear signal, as did left side wing walker. I verbalized to crew left side was clear and copilot responded right side walker was signaling clear. I then shifted my attention forward and followed the directions of the marshaller. At no time did he signal a stop. The left wingtip contacted the ladder on rear of fuel truck and I felt a thud. I immediately stopped the aircraft and assessed situation. We thought possibly a wheel of aircraft had hit a chock as we were still getting a forward signal. The taxi director subsequently told me he could not see truck spotter's signals. I felt we were always clear of obstructions based on all the input I was receiving. I feel that night aircraft movement in close quarters is something not be taken lightly, but I am not sure what I could have done differently based on the ground input I was receiving.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 FLC BEING MARSHALED INTO THE GATE, AT NIGHT, BY WING WALKERS AND A TAXI DIRECTOR HAS THE L WINGTIP STRIKE A FUEL TRUCK.

Narrative: ARRIVING AT GATE IN DCA, ACFT WAS BEING DIRECTED AT NIGHT TOWARDS JETWAY. I WAS FOLLOWING LEAD-IN LINE TO GATE UNDER CTL OF GND TAXI DIRECTOR. AN ACFT WAS PARKED AT AN ADJACENT GATE AND WAS BEING FUELED. I OBSERVED AT LEAST A COMPLEMENT OF 4 GND HANDLERS INCLUDING 1 MAN WHO STATIONED HIMSELF AT THE REAR OF THE FUEL TRUCK. I REALIZED I WOULD HAVE TO CLOSELY FOLLOW HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS AS I PROCEEDED TO GATE. TRUCK SPOTTER ON L SIDE GAVE ME A CONTINUOUS THUMBS-UP CLR SIGNAL, AS DID L SIDE WING WALKER. I VERBALIZED TO CREW L SIDE WAS CLR AND COPLT RESPONDED R SIDE WALKER WAS SIGNALING CLR. I THEN SHIFTED MY ATTN FORWARD AND FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS OF THE MARSHALLER. AT NO TIME DID HE SIGNAL A STOP. THE L WINGTIP CONTACTED THE LADDER ON REAR OF FUEL TRUCK AND I FELT A THUD. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT AND ASSESSED SIT. WE THOUGHT POSSIBLY A WHEEL OF ACFT HAD HIT A CHOCK AS WE WERE STILL GETTING A FORWARD SIGNAL. THE TAXI DIRECTOR SUBSEQUENTLY TOLD ME HE COULD NOT SEE TRUCK SPOTTER'S SIGNALS. I FELT WE WERE ALWAYS CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS BASED ON ALL THE INPUT I WAS RECEIVING. I FEEL THAT NIGHT ACFT MOVEMENT IN CLOSE QUARTERS IS SOMETHING NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY, BUT I AM NOT SURE WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY BASED ON THE GND INPUT I WAS RECEIVING.

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.

An air carrier B727 flight crew being marshaled into the gate, at night, by wing walkers and a taxi director has the left wingtip strike a fuel truck.