B727 hit catering truck while being marshaled to the gate.

Attributes
ACN	450121
Time
Date	199909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground other : parking
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	450121
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	450119
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe ground encounters other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Ground damage from catering truck. On landing at mia, we were taxiing into gate zz. We made the initial turn, and were slowly taxiing in. All ground personnel were using lighted wands, both the guideman and wing walkers. The truck was slowly moving forward 'towards the terminal,' and I made eye contact with the guideman on the left wingtip to ensure we were clear of the truck. He increased the frequency of his wand movement, and emphatically motioned to 'come ahead.' the guideman continued to wave us in. They were wrong, and I was wrong. I should have waited longer. About 20-25 ft from the gate, it felt like we hit a small rut in the ramp, and I stopped the aircraft immediately, realizing what had just happened. I opened the window and saw broken plexiglas on the ground, but no fluid leaks. The truck had definitely pulled forward after the impact, and we continued to the gate. The wing walker on the left side was crew chief mr X and he said to me that the truck was clear, and then it backed up because of a fuel hose on the adjacent gate. The driver of the truck vehemently stated that he hadn't backed up at all. Who was wrong? We all were. I can only state that the truck was moving forward when I focused my attention on the guideman, and we made the mistake of trusting the wing walker too much.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 HIT CATERING TRUCK WHILE BEING MARSHALED TO THE GATE.

Narrative: GND DAMAGE FROM CATERING TRUCK. ON LNDG AT MIA, WE WERE TAXIING INTO GATE ZZ. WE MADE THE INITIAL TURN, AND WERE SLOWLY TAXIING IN. ALL GND PERSONNEL WERE USING LIGHTED WANDS, BOTH THE GUIDEMAN AND WING WALKERS. THE TRUCK WAS SLOWLY MOVING FORWARD 'TOWARDS THE TERMINAL,' AND I MADE EYE CONTACT WITH THE GUIDEMAN ON THE L WINGTIP TO ENSURE WE WERE CLR OF THE TRUCK. HE INCREASED THE FREQ OF HIS WAND MOVEMENT, AND EMPHATICALLY MOTIONED TO 'COME AHEAD.' THE GUIDEMAN CONTINUED TO WAVE US IN. THEY WERE WRONG, AND I WAS WRONG. I SHOULD HAVE WAITED LONGER. ABOUT 20-25 FT FROM THE GATE, IT FELT LIKE WE HIT A SMALL RUT IN THE RAMP, AND I STOPPED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY, REALIZING WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. I OPENED THE WINDOW AND SAW BROKEN PLEXIGLAS ON THE GND, BUT NO FLUID LEAKS. THE TRUCK HAD DEFINITELY PULLED FORWARD AFTER THE IMPACT, AND WE CONTINUED TO THE GATE. THE WING WALKER ON THE L SIDE WAS CREW CHIEF MR X AND HE SAID TO ME THAT THE TRUCK WAS CLR, AND THEN IT BACKED UP BECAUSE OF A FUEL HOSE ON THE ADJACENT GATE. THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK VEHEMENTLY STATED THAT HE HADN'T BACKED UP AT ALL. WHO WAS WRONG? WE ALL WERE. I CAN ONLY STATE THAT THE TRUCK WAS MOVING FORWARD WHEN I FOCUSED MY ATTN ON THE GUIDEMAN, AND WE MADE THE MISTAKE OF TRUSTING THE WING WALKER TOO MUCH.

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.