Narrative:

Dayton operations instructed us to taxi into a space next to gate (gate was occupied by a DC9). The captain was being guided in on a yellow line with 2 wing walkers. It appeared that the marshaller started guiding the captain to the right of the yellow line. At first, I said 'wait, I don't think there are wing walkers....' then I spotted a wing walker with wands in hand on my side. Everything was going well. Then my wing walker started to bring her wands closer and closer together and then finally crossed them. As I saw this, I said 'stop, stop, stop.' the captain started to stop the airplane, but it was too late. The tip of the right wing impacted a light pole and shattered the navigation light case. I believe that we should not have been guided into that corner in the first place. It was the first time that I ever was told that we would be parking there. Since the event, numerous people that I have spoken with knew exactly what pole I was talking about when I said my airplane hit a pole in dayton. From what I have heard, we were not the only plane to hit that pole while being guided into that spot. Some say the pole should be taken down. I think that the parking spot is not large enough and planes should not at all be parked there. Also, I believe that the wing walker should have not allowed the wing to come even near that pole. She should have crossed her wands to indicate an unsafe condition well before the plane's wing came close to the pole.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WING COLLIDED WITH A LIGHT POLE DURING PARKING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE WINGTIP NAV LIGHT.

Narrative: DAYTON OPS INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI INTO A SPACE NEXT TO GATE (GATE WAS OCCUPIED BY A DC9). THE CAPT WAS BEING GUIDED IN ON A YELLOW LINE WITH 2 WING WALKERS. IT APPEARED THAT THE MARSHALLER STARTED GUIDING THE CAPT TO THE R OF THE YELLOW LINE. AT FIRST, I SAID 'WAIT, I DON'T THINK THERE ARE WING WALKERS....' THEN I SPOTTED A WING WALKER WITH WANDS IN HAND ON MY SIDE. EVERYTHING WAS GOING WELL. THEN MY WING WALKER STARTED TO BRING HER WANDS CLOSER AND CLOSER TOGETHER AND THEN FINALLY CROSSED THEM. AS I SAW THIS, I SAID 'STOP, STOP, STOP.' THE CAPT STARTED TO STOP THE AIRPLANE, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE TIP OF THE R WING IMPACTED A LIGHT POLE AND SHATTERED THE NAV LIGHT CASE. I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GUIDED INTO THAT CORNER IN THE FIRST PLACE. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I EVER WAS TOLD THAT WE WOULD BE PARKING THERE. SINCE THE EVENT, NUMEROUS PEOPLE THAT I HAVE SPOKEN WITH KNEW EXACTLY WHAT POLE I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN I SAID MY AIRPLANE HIT A POLE IN DAYTON. FROM WHAT I HAVE HEARD, WE WERE NOT THE ONLY PLANE TO HIT THAT POLE WHILE BEING GUIDED INTO THAT SPOT. SOME SAY THE POLE SHOULD BE TAKEN DOWN. I THINK THAT THE PARKING SPOT IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH AND PLANES SHOULD NOT AT ALL BE PARKED THERE. ALSO, I BELIEVE THAT THE WING WALKER SHOULD HAVE NOT ALLOWED THE WING TO COME EVEN NEAR THAT POLE. SHE SHOULD HAVE CROSSED HER WANDS TO INDICATE AN UNSAFE CONDITION WELL BEFORE THE PLANE'S WING CAME CLOSE TO THE POLE.

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.