Narrative:

Flight was cleared to taxi to gate xa. All procedures were SOP and crew worked well together. The flight was the end of an IOE and captain was very clear and precise in detailing to the IOE first officer the details involved with this gate, such as speed management, maneuvering and parking system. We had called ahead for paramedics and as we rounded the corner into the alley, we saw the emergency vehicle in the area of our gate but did not appear to us to encroach in the aircraft safety area. The taxi to the gate proceeded normally and very slowly with the guidance of the parking system. The captain brought the aircraft to a stop as the lights changed from green to yellow to red. After the parking checklist was complete, a flight attendant advised us that the emergency vehicle made contact with the #1 engine. The situation was not visible from the flight deck due to the jetways blocking our sight. The contact vehicle was only visible when we viewed from an aft left window on the upper deck business class. Upon further review from the ramp area, we confirmed the contact and damage to the leading edge of the #1 engine cowl and the aft right rear corner to the vehicle. Further inspection of the incident confirmed that the emergency vehicle was inside the red lines denoting the aircraft safety area and the aircraft position was on the taxi-in line. Supplemental information from acn 543538: aircraft was inadvertently guided into a parked ambulance. The ambulance was waiting to take an ill passenger to the hospital. Crew was not in a position to see the vehicle during final parking. Supplemental information from acn 543539: as we approached the gate, I was xchking and calling out ground speed to the captain so that he could judge his power needs as recommended for that gate. The last 20 ft it was 1 to 0 KTS. The incident was a complete surprise to me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 CREW, DURING TAXI IN AT LAX, MADE CONTACT WITH AN EMER VEHICLE WHILE PARKING AT THE GATE.

Narrative: FLT WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO GATE XA. ALL PROCS WERE SOP AND CREW WORKED WELL TOGETHER. THE FLT WAS THE END OF AN IOE AND CAPT WAS VERY CLR AND PRECISE IN DETAILING TO THE IOE FO THE DETAILS INVOLVED WITH THIS GATE, SUCH AS SPD MGMNT, MANEUVERING AND PARKING SYS. WE HAD CALLED AHEAD FOR PARAMEDICS AND AS WE ROUNDED THE CORNER INTO THE ALLEY, WE SAW THE EMER VEHICLE IN THE AREA OF OUR GATE BUT DID NOT APPEAR TO US TO ENCROACH IN THE ACFT SAFETY AREA. THE TAXI TO THE GATE PROCEEDED NORMALLY AND VERY SLOWLY WITH THE GUIDANCE OF THE PARKING SYS. THE CAPT BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP AS THE LIGHTS CHANGED FROM GREEN TO YELLOW TO RED. AFTER THE PARKING CHKLIST WAS COMPLETE, A FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED US THAT THE EMER VEHICLE MADE CONTACT WITH THE #1 ENG. THE SIT WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE FLT DECK DUE TO THE JETWAYS BLOCKING OUR SIGHT. THE CONTACT VEHICLE WAS ONLY VISIBLE WHEN WE VIEWED FROM AN AFT L WINDOW ON THE UPPER DECK BUSINESS CLASS. UPON FURTHER REVIEW FROM THE RAMP AREA, WE CONFIRMED THE CONTACT AND DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE #1 ENG COWL AND THE AFT R REAR CORNER TO THE VEHICLE. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE INCIDENT CONFIRMED THAT THE EMER VEHICLE WAS INSIDE THE RED LINES DENOTING THE ACFT SAFETY AREA AND THE ACFT POS WAS ON THE TAXI-IN LINE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 543538: ACFT WAS INADVERTENTLY GUIDED INTO A PARKED AMBULANCE. THE AMBULANCE WAS WAITING TO TAKE AN ILL PAX TO THE HOSPITAL. CREW WAS NOT IN A POS TO SEE THE VEHICLE DURING FINAL PARKING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 543539: AS WE APCHED THE GATE, I WAS XCHKING AND CALLING OUT GND SPD TO THE CAPT SO THAT HE COULD JUDGE HIS PWR NEEDS AS RECOMMENDED FOR THAT GATE. THE LAST 20 FT IT WAS 1 TO 0 KTS. THE INCIDENT WAS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO ME.

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.