Page 21 - February 2016

we both assessed the maneuvering room to pass as being adequate. I used the main landing gear tire tracks of the aircraft that had pushed back from our gate as a guide to align with the run-in line. Approximately four aircraft lengths from the gate, I stopped and set the parking brake because the automatic DGS (Docking Guidance System) displayed WAIT, and a ground marshal at the gate was displaying the stop signal with lighted wands.The delay was due to an aircraft on both the left and right of our gate having a deice vehicle near the tail of each aircraft. After a several minutes, the DGS became active, showing the come-ahead display, and a wing monitor with lighted wands was stationed at both the left and right wing tips; both were presenting the signal for clear. There was a marshal at the front of the aircraft as well with his wands deactivated, monitoring the wing marshals and our approach. As we moved forward, John and I repeatedly told each other that our respective wing monitors were still displaying the clear/ continue signal. As we slowly moved forward and began to lose sight of the wing monitors, John opened his side window and looked aft to his monitor and confirmed the clear signal. As I lost sight of my monitor I transitioned to the partially visible run-in line and the DGS which was displaying the normal indications to continue forward. I could see pieces of the run-in line, and both it and the DGS showed me as centered. A couple of seconds later the aircraft nose slid to the left and we came to an abrupt stop. I set the parking brake.A Buried ChockAfter my taxi experience from the 28R pad, I first thought that I had slid into a rut or developed a nosewheel steering issue. I signaled a ground crew member below the left of the nose to come here, slid open my window and yelled that my NWS had malfunctioned. He and the nose marshal moved out of sight nearthe nose and left wing. One of them reappeared and moved to the front and began to give me the signal to come forward. I released the brakes, added power and the aircraft did not move. I set the parking brake and signaled to them that I could not move. The nose marshal then moved out of sight on the left side of the fuselage. This time I thought that perhaps they noticed a chock buried under the snow that I had run into. I have heard that if you forget to remove a chock or a tail tiedown, you can’t move – but I’ve only heard. He reappeared and moved to the front of the nose; again signaling me to move ahead. I released the brake and added power; the aircraft did not move. I set the parking brake.Hit a TruckIn the ensuing minutes, passengers reported that one of the wings had hit a truck. I slid open my window, stuck my head out and looked aft – it was true. The left wing, approximately three feet in from the tip, had impacted a deicing truck. After inspections by multiple entities, a tug and ground communication cord were attached to the aircraft and the tug pushed us back fifty feet or so, the deicing truck was moved, and we were towed forward to the gate. I can no longer claim to have never bent any metal on an airplane. Yes ma’am. I bent some metal; I bent it all right.And that’s the way it was on the last leg, of the last day, of the four-day tripday that began on Christmas Day, 2015: talking with mechanics, the FAA, the union attorney, company safety officer, my chief pilot and the angry, stay-in-the-area guy. We will be “invited” to a hearing hosted by the ERT (Event Review Team) at company headquarters in the coming weeks. Hopefully, the lack of an ankle bracelet will accentuate my innocence. I suspect they won’t ask us to bring a dish to pass though. The mechanics say that it can be fixed and that it will return to service. I hope so. And I’ve been told that the officials involved are satisfied that we were not negligent and that’s a good thing. But I hurt one of my beloved MD-80’s and we don’t have many left in the fleet to hurt. It breaks my heart and that’s a fact. T&T•Kevin Dingman has been flying for over 40 years. He’s an ATP typed in the B737 and DC9 with 21,000 hours. A retired Air Force Major, he flew the F-16 then performed as a USAF Civil Air Patrol Liaison Offi- cer. He flies volunteer missions for the Christian organization Wings of Mercy, is employed by a major airline, and owns and operates a Beechcraft Duke. Contact Kevin at Dinger10d@gmail.comNational Flight Simulator Sixth Page4/C AdFEBRUARY 2016 TWIN & TURBINE • 19