Truck driver mechanic did not give way to an MD80 parking at a gate.

Attributes
ACN	573646
Time
Date	200302
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mmu.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	McDonnell Douglas Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Person 1
Function	maintenance : lead technician maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Experience	maintenance lead technician : 10 maintenance technician : 12
ASRS Report	573646
Person 2
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe ground encounters other non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

While driving a pickup truck west on the north side of concourse, I inadvertently drove in front of an aircraft getting ready to park at the gate. The aircraft was pointed east at the time, and I was driving west. It appeared to me that the aircraft was continuing to taxi east so I continued to drive west. When I was 3 quarters past the gate, I realized that the aircraft was coming into the gate that I was passing. I continued to drive west and cleared the path and the aircraft continued into the gate without incident and parked. This was very startling to me, and thus prompted me to write this safety report. Factors that contributed to this experience would be a constant sense of urgency due to operational tempo and the state of the airline industry. Another factor was, the wing walkers were not clearly positioned. I only saw 1 wing walker after I reached the far side of the gate, and he did not have wands that I could see. Nothing was blocking the road on each side of the gate to prevent vehicle access during aircraft parking. I took for granted that the aircraft was going in a particular direction. Fortunately, no adverse consequences occurred due to this chain of events. Hopefully, this safety report will help to provide a better understanding of problems and potential hazards of ground operations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRUCK DRIVER MECH DID NOT GIVE WAY TO AN MD80 PARKING AT A GATE.

Narrative: WHILE DRIVING A PICKUP TRUCK W ON THE N SIDE OF CONCOURSE, I INADVERTENTLY DROVE IN FRONT OF AN ACFT GETTING READY TO PARK AT THE GATE. THE ACFT WAS POINTED E AT THE TIME, AND I WAS DRIVING W. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THE ACFT WAS CONTINUING TO TAXI E SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE W. WHEN I WAS 3 QUARTERS PAST THE GATE, I REALIZED THAT THE ACFT WAS COMING INTO THE GATE THAT I WAS PASSING. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE W AND CLRED THE PATH AND THE ACFT CONTINUED INTO THE GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND PARKED. THIS WAS VERY STARTLING TO ME, AND THUS PROMPTED ME TO WRITE THIS SAFETY RPT. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EXPERIENCE WOULD BE A CONSTANT SENSE OF URGENCY DUE TO OPERATIONAL TEMPO AND THE STATE OF THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS, THE WING WALKERS WERE NOT CLRLY POSITIONED. I ONLY SAW 1 WING WALKER AFTER I REACHED THE FAR SIDE OF THE GATE, AND HE DID NOT HAVE WANDS THAT I COULD SEE. NOTHING WAS BLOCKING THE ROAD ON EACH SIDE OF THE GATE TO PREVENT VEHICLE ACCESS DURING ACFT PARKING. I TOOK FOR GRANTED THAT THE ACFT WAS GOING IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION. FORTUNATELY, NO ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES OCCURRED DUE TO THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS. HOPEFULLY, THIS SAFETY RPT WILL HELP TO PROVIDE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PROBS AND POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF GND OPS.

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.