Narrative:

At completion of parking at gate; I noticed some confusion on face of the guide person. After engine shutdown; I walked down to the ramp to see what could have happened. Everything looked ok but...on closer inspection; I noticed that our nosewheel was stopped on a stopline 753 and that there was another line marked 752 about 10 ft further away from the terminal. We were parked 10 ft too far. Lucky us; there was enough clearance on left engine and the jetway! I called operations and met ramp supervisor at the plane. Was told that city of seattle repainted all guidelines at the gates and marked them for different aircraft types including those we don't operate. There are gates that have stoplines for both 757-200 and another for B757-300. It is way too easy for the guideperson to confuse those and direct a plane to be parked 10 ft too far with minimal or zero clearance from jetway. An accident waiting to happen. Training for ground personnel is not enough; lines for 'useless' positions should be erased or remarked differently to prevent confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 PLT NOTES THAT THE ACFT NOSEWHEEL STOP LINES AT SOME SEA GATES ARE PAINTED FOR BOTH B757-200 AND B757-300 CAUSING RAMP GUIDE PERSONNEL CONFUSION AND POSSIBLE ENG/JET BRIDGE COLLISION.

Narrative: AT COMPLETION OF PARKING AT GATE; I NOTICED SOME CONFUSION ON FACE OF THE GUIDE PERSON. AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN; I WALKED DOWN TO THE RAMP TO SEE WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. EVERYTHING LOOKED OK BUT...ON CLOSER INSPECTION; I NOTICED THAT OUR NOSEWHEEL WAS STOPPED ON A STOPLINE 753 AND THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER LINE MARKED 752 ABOUT 10 FT FURTHER AWAY FROM THE TERMINAL. WE WERE PARKED 10 FT TOO FAR. LUCKY US; THERE WAS ENOUGH CLRNC ON L ENG AND THE JETWAY! I CALLED OPS AND MET RAMP SUPVR AT THE PLANE. WAS TOLD THAT CITY OF SEATTLE REPAINTED ALL GUIDELINES AT THE GATES AND MARKED THEM FOR DIFFERENT ACFT TYPES INCLUDING THOSE WE DON'T OPERATE. THERE ARE GATES THAT HAVE STOPLINES FOR BOTH 757-200 AND ANOTHER FOR B757-300. IT IS WAY TOO EASY FOR THE GUIDEPERSON TO CONFUSE THOSE AND DIRECT A PLANE TO BE PARKED 10 FT TOO FAR WITH MINIMAL OR ZERO CLRNC FROM JETWAY. AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. TRAINING FOR GND PERSONNEL IS NOT ENOUGH; LINES FOR 'USELESS' POSITIONS SHOULD BE ERASED OR REMARKED DIFFERENTLY TO PREVENT CONFUSION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.