Narrative:

We arrived at tri airport. Tri ground controller cleared us to the gate and advised us that the ramp was uncontrolled. The local handler and ground marshallers are not accustomed to widebody transport aircraft at this airport. A marshaller guided our aircraft to a gate. When we stopped, they realized that we were about 8 ft away from the fully extended jetway. We had no cockpit-to-ground handler communication by interphone -- only hand signals were used. The marshaller requested that we taxi out and make a 360 degree turn to repos our aircraft closer to the jetway. I advised ground control as to what our intentions were and the marshaller signaled us to move forward. As we began to turn back around, I was looking out the right side of the aircraft. However, from the cockpit of the L1011 you cannot see the wingtips. We heard a noise that sounded like the nosewheel tire scraping. We continued around and aligned up at the proper distance from the jetway. We were then informed by the agent that our left wingtip made contact with the top of the jetway. There was resulting damage to the left wingtip and strobe light of the airplane. Our company representative was on the ramp at the time of the incident. He should have briefed the marshallers as to where to park the aircraft and the turning radius required. If there was any doubt about the aircraft clearing the jetway, the flight engineer could have gone back to L2 door (the second door on the left) to observe the clearance and establish communication with the cockpit on the interphone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L1011 WHILE BEING GUIDED OFF A GATE FOR REPOSITIONING STRUCK A PARKED JETWAY INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE L WINGTIP AND STROBE LIGHT.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED AT TRI ARPT. TRI GND CTLR CLRED US TO THE GATE AND ADVISED US THAT THE RAMP WAS UNCTLED. THE LCL HANDLER AND GND MARSHALLERS ARE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO WDB ACFT AT THIS ARPT. A MARSHALLER GUIDED OUR ACFT TO A GATE. WHEN WE STOPPED, THEY REALIZED THAT WE WERE ABOUT 8 FT AWAY FROM THE FULLY EXTENDED JETWAY. WE HAD NO COCKPIT-TO-GND HANDLER COM BY INTERPHONE -- ONLY HAND SIGNALS WERE USED. THE MARSHALLER REQUESTED THAT WE TAXI OUT AND MAKE A 360 DEG TURN TO REPOS OUR ACFT CLOSER TO THE JETWAY. I ADVISED GND CTL AS TO WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE AND THE MARSHALLER SIGNALED US TO MOVE FORWARD. AS WE BEGAN TO TURN BACK AROUND, I WAS LOOKING OUT THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. HOWEVER, FROM THE COCKPIT OF THE L1011 YOU CANNOT SEE THE WINGTIPS. WE HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE THE NOSEWHEEL TIRE SCRAPING. WE CONTINUED AROUND AND ALIGNED UP AT THE PROPER DISTANCE FROM THE JETWAY. WE WERE THEN INFORMED BY THE AGENT THAT OUR L WINGTIP MADE CONTACT WITH THE TOP OF THE JETWAY. THERE WAS RESULTING DAMAGE TO THE L WINGTIP AND STROBE LIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE. OUR COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE WAS ON THE RAMP AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. HE SHOULD HAVE BRIEFED THE MARSHALLERS AS TO WHERE TO PARK THE ACFT AND THE TURNING RADIUS REQUIRED. IF THERE WAS ANY DOUBT ABOUT THE ACFT CLRING THE JETWAY, THE FE COULD HAVE GONE BACK TO L2 DOOR (THE SECOND DOOR ON THE L) TO OBSERVE THE CLRNC AND ESTABLISH COM WITH THE COCKPIT ON THE INTERPHONE.

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.