Narrative:

New company procedures require contract marshallers to bring aircraft to gate without the benefit of wing walkers who provide safety oversight to the aircraft. Even though 2 separate tugs (driven by contract personnel) entered the safety zone; the contract marshaller continued to direct the aircraft to the gate. Captain brought the aircraft to a full and complete stop for each offending tug; but the contract marshaller continually tried to bring the aircraft in to the gate even when it was not safe to do so. One of the offending tugs was traveling at excessive speed; and even dumped luggage on the ramp before he continued on the way. Operations were advised about the tug and spilled luggage. In addition before reaching the gate area; it was necessary to bring the aircraft to a stop in the alley between the concourses as another tug pulled in front of the moving aircraft. Contract marshallers should receive instructions in company policies regarding the safety zone regarding aircraft approaching the gate. Additionally; contract marshallers need to be instructed that they need to visually clear the area before bringing aircraft to the gate. The lack of wing walkers removes a visual clue to ramp traffic that there is aircraft movement in the area. Ramp traffic should be instructed to observe aircraft movement and not pull in front of moving airplanes. In the alternative; ramp traffic should be minimized on the ramp and be required to operate in designated lanes rather than wander at will in the aircraft movement area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT REPORTS ATTEMPT BY MARSHALS TO PARK ACFT WITH EQUIPMENT IN THE SAFETY ZONE.

Narrative: NEW COMPANY PROCS REQUIRE CONTRACT MARSHALLERS TO BRING ACFT TO GATE WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF WING WALKERS WHO PROVIDE SAFETY OVERSIGHT TO THE ACFT. EVEN THOUGH 2 SEPARATE TUGS (DRIVEN BY CONTRACT PERSONNEL) ENTERED THE SAFETY ZONE; THE CONTRACT MARSHALLER CONTINUED TO DIRECT THE ACFT TO THE GATE. CAPT BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP FOR EACH OFFENDING TUG; BUT THE CONTRACT MARSHALLER CONTINUALLY TRIED TO BRING THE ACFT IN TO THE GATE EVEN WHEN IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DO SO. ONE OF THE OFFENDING TUGS WAS TRAVELING AT EXCESSIVE SPD; AND EVEN DUMPED LUGGAGE ON THE RAMP BEFORE HE CONTINUED ON THE WAY. OPS WERE ADVISED ABOUT THE TUG AND SPILLED LUGGAGE. IN ADDITION BEFORE REACHING THE GATE AREA; IT WAS NECESSARY TO BRING THE ACFT TO A STOP IN THE ALLEY BTWN THE CONCOURSES AS ANOTHER TUG PULLED IN FRONT OF THE MOVING ACFT. CONTRACT MARSHALLERS SHOULD RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS IN COMPANY POLICIES REGARDING THE SAFETY ZONE REGARDING ACFT APCHING THE GATE. ADDITIONALLY; CONTRACT MARSHALLERS NEED TO BE INSTRUCTED THAT THEY NEED TO VISUALLY CLR THE AREA BEFORE BRINGING ACFT TO THE GATE. THE LACK OF WING WALKERS REMOVES A VISUAL CLUE TO RAMP TFC THAT THERE IS ACFT MOVEMENT IN THE AREA. RAMP TFC SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO OBSERVE ACFT MOVEMENT AND NOT PULL IN FRONT OF MOVING AIRPLANES. IN THE ALTERNATIVE; RAMP TFC SHOULD BE MINIMIZED ON THE RAMP AND BE REQUIRED TO OPERATE IN DESIGNATED LANES RATHER THAN WANDER AT WILL IN THE ACFT MOVEMENT AREA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.