Narrative:

While taxiing into gate, left wing impacted service truck when aircraft was about 10 ft from gate. After looking at the situation, I noticed the safety cones were improperly located, allowing the service truck to be too close to the parking area. At the time of impact, my total attention was on the marshaller off the nose. There was a wing walker in place on the left side. I believe that improper placement of safety cones, poor and worn ramp markings and lack of communication between ramp personnel and possibly complacency on their part in the fact that the truck was behind the safety cone led to the problem. I think that defined paint and markings easily seen by pilots and ramp personnel would have prevented the problem. Also more expeditious communication between the wing walker and marshaller. The aircraft should have never been directed as it was if the truck even appeared close. Supplemental information from acn 446725: as we were taxiing into the gate in boston I noticed a catering truck off our left wing. As we rounded the corner to head straight into the gate I saw a wing walker standing right by the truck. Next to the truck there was a cone as well. This cone appeared to be in a place that would normally indicate the clear zone for the wing. The truck was parked right by the cone but on the outside of it. As we taxied in, the marshaller in front of us continued to marshall us forward. Then he stopped us before being even with the jetway. By the time we stopped we had hit the truck. When we did come to a stop we were about 10-15 ft short of the jetway. The damage was done to leading edge about 15 inches from the tip. The damage appeared to be minimal as it wasn't on a slat, just a fairing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 HIT CATERING TRUCK WHEN BEING WING WALKED, AND MARSHALED TO THE GATE.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING INTO GATE, L WING IMPACTED SVC TRUCK WHEN ACFT WAS ABOUT 10 FT FROM GATE. AFTER LOOKING AT THE SIT, I NOTICED THE SAFETY CONES WERE IMPROPERLY LOCATED, ALLOWING THE SVC TRUCK TO BE TOO CLOSE TO THE PARKING AREA. AT THE TIME OF IMPACT, MY TOTAL ATTN WAS ON THE MARSHALLER OFF THE NOSE. THERE WAS A WING WALKER IN PLACE ON THE L SIDE. I BELIEVE THAT IMPROPER PLACEMENT OF SAFETY CONES, POOR AND WORN RAMP MARKINGS AND LACK OF COM BTWN RAMP PERSONNEL AND POSSIBLY COMPLACENCY ON THEIR PART IN THE FACT THAT THE TRUCK WAS BEHIND THE SAFETY CONE LED TO THE PROB. I THINK THAT DEFINED PAINT AND MARKINGS EASILY SEEN BY PLTS AND RAMP PERSONNEL WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE PROB. ALSO MORE EXPEDITIOUS COM BTWN THE WING WALKER AND MARSHALLER. THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN DIRECTED AS IT WAS IF THE TRUCK EVEN APPEARED CLOSE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 446725: AS WE WERE TAXIING INTO THE GATE IN BOSTON I NOTICED A CATERING TRUCK OFF OUR L WING. AS WE ROUNDED THE CORNER TO HEAD STRAIGHT INTO THE GATE I SAW A WING WALKER STANDING RIGHT BY THE TRUCK. NEXT TO THE TRUCK THERE WAS A CONE AS WELL. THIS CONE APPEARED TO BE IN A PLACE THAT WOULD NORMALLY INDICATE THE CLR ZONE FOR THE WING. THE TRUCK WAS PARKED RIGHT BY THE CONE BUT ON THE OUTSIDE OF IT. AS WE TAXIED IN, THE MARSHALLER IN FRONT OF US CONTINUED TO MARSHALL US FORWARD. THEN HE STOPPED US BEFORE BEING EVEN WITH THE JETWAY. BY THE TIME WE STOPPED WE HAD HIT THE TRUCK. WHEN WE DID COME TO A STOP WE WERE ABOUT 10-15 FT SHORT OF THE JETWAY. THE DAMAGE WAS DONE TO LEADING EDGE ABOUT 15 INCHES FROM THE TIP. THE DAMAGE APPEARED TO BE MINIMAL AS IT WASN'T ON A SLAT, JUST A FAIRING.

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.