Air carrier medium large transport right wing tip hit by catering truck as aircraft was taxiing to t...

Attributes
ACN	97508
Time
Date	198811
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 8500
ASRS Report	97508
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While taxiing on a ramp taxi line parallel to a ground equipment service drive the right wing tip was struck by a catering veh which had strayed out of its designated lane. The truck entered the taxi area after the cockpit had passed the truck and was out of view by the crew. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said there was considerable damage to the outer 1 1/2' of the wing tip. Vent tank had to be replaced plus navigation lights. Does not think any major structural damage. Ground veh driver turned out of the designated drive area to avoid other ground equipment in the area. Area at the tip of the terminals is not very wide and with the construction in progress and the congestion of ground equipment there is not enough room. Veh driver could not see the wing tip as the aircraft passed and the truck was already out of view of the flight crew. Veh driver should have stopped until he could see the aircraft wing tip.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG RIGHT WING TIP HIT BY CATERING TRUCK AS ACFT WAS TAXIING TO THE GATE.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING ON A RAMP TAXI LINE PARALLEL TO A GND EQUIP SVC DRIVE THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS STRUCK BY A CATERING VEH WHICH HAD STRAYED OUT OF ITS DESIGNATED LANE. THE TRUCK ENTERED THE TAXI AREA AFTER THE COCKPIT HAD PASSED THE TRUCK AND WAS OUT OF VIEW BY THE CREW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAID THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE OUTER 1 1/2' OF THE WING TIP. VENT TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED PLUS NAV LIGHTS. DOES NOT THINK ANY MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. GND VEH DRIVER TURNED OUT OF THE DESIGNATED DRIVE AREA TO AVOID OTHER GND EQUIP IN THE AREA. AREA AT THE TIP OF THE TERMINALS IS NOT VERY WIDE AND WITH THE CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS AND THE CONGESTION OF GND EQUIP THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM. VEH DRIVER COULD NOT SEE THE WING TIP AS THE ACFT PASSED AND THE TRUCK WAS ALREADY OUT OF VIEW OF THE FLT CREW. VEH DRIVER SHOULD HAVE STOPPED UNTIL HE COULD SEE THE ACFT WING TIP.

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

Air carrier medium large transport right wing tip hit by catering truck as aircraft was taxiing to the gate.