Narrative:

On taxi in from completion of a flight, we were given a gate at ewr. The ramp controller gave us clearance to taxi in via the ramp access. It was night, raining steadily and the gate is located at the end of the terminal finger. Poor lighting was also present. As we turned in towards the gate, we 'picked up' our marshaller and 2 wing walkers who gave us the ok to continue in. We taxied as far as about 2 ft short of the stop mark when the marshaller stopped us. As the captain applied the brakes, we felt a 'bump' -- as if we ran over or into something. We were noticeably short of the jetway. The ramp agents then 'plugged in' to the aircraft and told us via intercom that we had run into a catering truck. There is and are pitfalls with the design of this gate and ground markings. The jetway at this gate is designed to board/deplane passenger from the lower/ground level, thereby making the jetway only a ft or 2 above ground level until almost at the end where it meets the aircraft. The marshaller, even though he has wing walkers, cannot see the right one (as he looks at the aircraft) because he's obscured by the jetway. The captain cannot see the last 20 ft or so because of the jetway end. This created another hazardous situation because in an effort to notify the marshaller of the impending collision, the wing walker ran in front of a 'live' cfm engine, forgetting about the engine, could have cost a life! As it turned out, he did get his attention and the captain applied brakes as we hit the catering truck. This truck was parked facing away from us and was confusing to us because there were 2 sets of lines painted on the ramp. He was parked inside (tail sticking into) one set of line, and outside the other set. We were initially concerned about this but were reassured by wing walker use. If 'they' are going to paint (new) aircraft safety lines on the ground, the old ones should be stripped off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 STRIKES SVC TRUCK WHILE UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF MARSHALLER AND 2 WING WALKERS AT EWR.

Narrative: ON TAXI IN FROM COMPLETION OF A FLT, WE WERE GIVEN A GATE AT EWR. THE RAMP CTLR GAVE US CLRNC TO TAXI IN VIA THE RAMP ACCESS. IT WAS NIGHT, RAINING STEADILY AND THE GATE IS LOCATED AT THE END OF THE TERMINAL FINGER. POOR LIGHTING WAS ALSO PRESENT. AS WE TURNED IN TOWARDS THE GATE, WE 'PICKED UP' OUR MARSHALLER AND 2 WING WALKERS WHO GAVE US THE OK TO CONTINUE IN. WE TAXIED AS FAR AS ABOUT 2 FT SHORT OF THE STOP MARK WHEN THE MARSHALLER STOPPED US. AS THE CAPT APPLIED THE BRAKES, WE FELT A 'BUMP' -- AS IF WE RAN OVER OR INTO SOMETHING. WE WERE NOTICEABLY SHORT OF THE JETWAY. THE RAMP AGENTS THEN 'PLUGGED IN' TO THE ACFT AND TOLD US VIA INTERCOM THAT WE HAD RUN INTO A CATERING TRUCK. THERE IS AND ARE PITFALLS WITH THE DESIGN OF THIS GATE AND GND MARKINGS. THE JETWAY AT THIS GATE IS DESIGNED TO BOARD/DEPLANE PAX FROM THE LOWER/GND LEVEL, THEREBY MAKING THE JETWAY ONLY A FT OR 2 ABOVE GND LEVEL UNTIL ALMOST AT THE END WHERE IT MEETS THE ACFT. THE MARSHALLER, EVEN THOUGH HE HAS WING WALKERS, CANNOT SEE THE R ONE (AS HE LOOKS AT THE ACFT) BECAUSE HE'S OBSCURED BY THE JETWAY. THE CAPT CANNOT SEE THE LAST 20 FT OR SO BECAUSE OF THE JETWAY END. THIS CREATED ANOTHER HAZARDOUS SIT BECAUSE IN AN EFFORT TO NOTIFY THE MARSHALLER OF THE IMPENDING COLLISION, THE WING WALKER RAN IN FRONT OF A 'LIVE' CFM ENG, FORGETTING ABOUT THE ENG, COULD HAVE COST A LIFE! AS IT TURNED OUT, HE DID GET HIS ATTN AND THE CAPT APPLIED BRAKES AS WE HIT THE CATERING TRUCK. THIS TRUCK WAS PARKED FACING AWAY FROM US AND WAS CONFUSING TO US BECAUSE THERE WERE 2 SETS OF LINES PAINTED ON THE RAMP. HE WAS PARKED INSIDE (TAIL STICKING INTO) ONE SET OF LINE, AND OUTSIDE THE OTHER SET. WE WERE INITIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS BUT WERE REASSURED BY WING WALKER USE. IF 'THEY' ARE GOING TO PAINT (NEW) ACFT SAFETY LINES ON THE GND, THE OLD ONES SHOULD BE STRIPPED OFF.

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.