Narrative:

The control tower instructed us to make a right turnoff and to remain on the tower frequency. I took control of the aircraft after acknowledging the final tower instruction. The first available exit was taxiway F where I then exited the active runway. The prevailing winds and snow were blowing almost directly down that taxiway. As I approached taxiway a, I noticed it was covered with snow and virtually indistinguishable due to the snow cover. I continued across taxiway a on taxiway F toward a lighted large ramp area. As I maneuvered a turn onto the ramp area, I asked first officer if he could see a yellow taxi line. There was snow blowing across the ramp making it difficult to locate a yellow line. After the turn onto the ramp, I noticed several aircraft parked on the southwest portion of the ramp. I kept to the right to ensure wingtip clearance. Off to our right was a snow covered fuel truck. I asked first officer to keep an eye on that truck and I was to keep an eye on the parked aircraft. As I began a slight turn toward the left (I was still concerned about the parked aircraft), first officer opened the right window and placed his head out of the aircraft to get a better view of the right wing. Shortly after he looked out and he reported that we had made contact with the truck. I then continued to taxi to gate where the required shutdown and termination checklists were performed. After all passenger deplaned, first officer and I exited the jetway to examine the right wing. I observed a puncture on the outboard right leading edge slat. I called the dispatcher and via a conference call phone patch informed maintenance of the damage. Supplemental information from acn 608451: as we approached the ramp area, the captain said something about the aircraft on the left and steered slightly to the right. I then said 'watch that truck' and pointed to a fuel truck that was parked in the snow to the right. The captain steered to the right. I opened the window and stuck my head out to see if we would make it. I came back in and said, 'you've got to go left.' I stuck my head out again and I saw the wing bump over the cabin of the truck. I came back in and told the captain that we had made contact with the truck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 CREW HIT A FUEL TRUCK WHILE TAXIING IN TO THE RAMP AREA. THE RAMP AREA WAS OBSCURED BY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

Narrative: THE CTL TWR INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE A R TURNOFF AND TO REMAIN ON THE TWR FREQ. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING THE FINAL TWR INSTRUCTION. THE FIRST AVAILABLE EXIT WAS TXWY F WHERE I THEN EXITED THE ACTIVE RWY. THE PREVAILING WINDS AND SNOW WERE BLOWING ALMOST DIRECTLY DOWN THAT TXWY. AS I APCHED TXWY A, I NOTICED IT WAS COVERED WITH SNOW AND VIRTUALLY INDISTINGUISHABLE DUE TO THE SNOW COVER. I CONTINUED ACROSS TXWY A ON TXWY F TOWARD A LIGHTED LARGE RAMP AREA. AS I MANEUVERED A TURN ONTO THE RAMP AREA, I ASKED FO IF HE COULD SEE A YELLOW TAXI LINE. THERE WAS SNOW BLOWING ACROSS THE RAMP MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO LOCATE A YELLOW LINE. AFTER THE TURN ONTO THE RAMP, I NOTICED SEVERAL ACFT PARKED ON THE SW PORTION OF THE RAMP. I KEPT TO THE R TO ENSURE WINGTIP CLRNC. OFF TO OUR R WAS A SNOW COVERED FUEL TRUCK. I ASKED FO TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT TRUCK AND I WAS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE PARKED ACFT. AS I BEGAN A SLIGHT TURN TOWARD THE L (I WAS STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE PARKED ACFT), FO OPENED THE R WINDOW AND PLACED HIS HEAD OUT OF THE ACFT TO GET A BETTER VIEW OF THE R WING. SHORTLY AFTER HE LOOKED OUT AND HE RPTED THAT WE HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE TRUCK. I THEN CONTINUED TO TAXI TO GATE WHERE THE REQUIRED SHUTDOWN AND TERMINATION CHKLISTS WERE PERFORMED. AFTER ALL PAX DEPLANED, FO AND I EXITED THE JETWAY TO EXAMINE THE R WING. I OBSERVED A PUNCTURE ON THE OUTBOARD R LEADING EDGE SLAT. I CALLED THE DISPATCHER AND VIA A CONFERENCE CALL PHONE PATCH INFORMED MAINT OF THE DAMAGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 608451: AS WE APCHED THE RAMP AREA, THE CAPT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE ACFT ON THE L AND STEERED SLIGHTLY TO THE R. I THEN SAID 'WATCH THAT TRUCK' AND POINTED TO A FUEL TRUCK THAT WAS PARKED IN THE SNOW TO THE R. THE CAPT STEERED TO THE R. I OPENED THE WINDOW AND STUCK MY HEAD OUT TO SEE IF WE WOULD MAKE IT. I CAME BACK IN AND SAID, 'YOU'VE GOT TO GO L.' I STUCK MY HEAD OUT AGAIN AND I SAW THE WING BUMP OVER THE CABIN OF THE TRUCK. I CAME BACK IN AND TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE TRUCK.

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.