Narrative:

While taxiing in to gate under guidance of marshall and wing walkers, my left wingtip struck the right wingtip of the aircraft parked next to me. Aircraft on my left had been previously parked incorrectly and the wing walker on the left side was not paying attention when we taxied in. When we struck the other aircraft we were on centerline and were being directed forward by the marshall. Supplemental information from acn 440300: while being marshalled into a congested gate area at night, the crew felt the aircraft come into contact with an unknown object. We immediately stopped the aircraft, but the marshaller continued to guide us in to the gate with lighted wands. The crew discussed the situation and determined that we had most likely run over a pair of chocks which we had witnessed being thrown under the aircraft by a ramp worker. After visually inspecting the area, we continued to the gate (a distance of approximately 20 ft). Passenger said, 'wing is going to need a band-aid.' I found evidence that the left wingtip had come into contact with the right wingtip of a B727 parked at the adjacent gate. Ramp and maintenance supervisors were summoned to the area, where it was discovered that the B727 at the adjacent gate was improperly parked. While the nosewheel was on the parking centerline, the aircraft was parked at an angle which allowed the right wingtip to protrude into our gate's safety zone. The supervisors stated that this situation was becoming more common because of a lack of training of ramp personnel. The marshallers guiding our aircraft in to the gate failed to observe proper operating procedure. The wing walker on the left wing was obviously not monitoring the clearance between the aircraft. This lack of discipline seems to be occurring more often. The training and low experience level of some ramp personnel was definitely a major factor in this incident. I believe our flight was the last one that this particular crew was to work that evening, which may have made them anxious to get us in the gate and unloaded quickly. The appropriate reports were made to our company management personnel. In the future, I will be more observant of the parking status of adjacent aircraft before entering the gate area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 STRUCK PARKED B727'S WINGTIP WHILE UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF MARSHALLER.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING IN TO GATE UNDER GUIDANCE OF MARSHALL AND WING WALKERS, MY L WINGTIP STRUCK THE R WINGTIP OF THE ACFT PARKED NEXT TO ME. ACFT ON MY L HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY PARKED INCORRECTLY AND THE WING WALKER ON THE L SIDE WAS NOT PAYING ATTN WHEN WE TAXIED IN. WHEN WE STRUCK THE OTHER ACFT WE WERE ON CTRLINE AND WERE BEING DIRECTED FORWARD BY THE MARSHALL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 440300: WHILE BEING MARSHALLED INTO A CONGESTED GATE AREA AT NIGHT, THE CREW FELT THE ACFT COME INTO CONTACT WITH AN UNKNOWN OBJECT. WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT, BUT THE MARSHALLER CONTINUED TO GUIDE US IN TO THE GATE WITH LIGHTED WANDS. THE CREW DISCUSSED THE SIT AND DETERMINED THAT WE HAD MOST LIKELY RUN OVER A PAIR OF CHOCKS WHICH WE HAD WITNESSED BEING THROWN UNDER THE ACFT BY A RAMP WORKER. AFTER VISUALLY INSPECTING THE AREA, WE CONTINUED TO THE GATE (A DISTANCE OF APPROX 20 FT). PAX SAID, 'WING IS GOING TO NEED A BAND-AID.' I FOUND EVIDENCE THAT THE L WINGTIP HAD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE R WINGTIP OF A B727 PARKED AT THE ADJACENT GATE. RAMP AND MAINT SUPVRS WERE SUMMONED TO THE AREA, WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE B727 AT THE ADJACENT GATE WAS IMPROPERLY PARKED. WHILE THE NOSEWHEEL WAS ON THE PARKING CTRLINE, THE ACFT WAS PARKED AT AN ANGLE WHICH ALLOWED THE R WINGTIP TO PROTRUDE INTO OUR GATE'S SAFETY ZONE. THE SUPVRS STATED THAT THIS SIT WAS BECOMING MORE COMMON BECAUSE OF A LACK OF TRAINING OF RAMP PERSONNEL. THE MARSHALLERS GUIDING OUR ACFT IN TO THE GATE FAILED TO OBSERVE PROPER OPERATING PROC. THE WING WALKER ON THE L WING WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT MONITORING THE CLRNC BTWN THE ACFT. THIS LACK OF DISCIPLINE SEEMS TO BE OCCURRING MORE OFTEN. THE TRAINING AND LOW EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF SOME RAMP PERSONNEL WAS DEFINITELY A MAJOR FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT. I BELIEVE OUR FLT WAS THE LAST ONE THAT THIS PARTICULAR CREW WAS TO WORK THAT EVENING, WHICH MAY HAVE MADE THEM ANXIOUS TO GET US IN THE GATE AND UNLOADED QUICKLY. THE APPROPRIATE RPTS WERE MADE TO OUR COMPANY MGMNT PERSONNEL. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MORE OBSERVANT OF THE PARKING STATUS OF ADJACENT ACFT BEFORE ENTERING THE GATE AREA.

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.