B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 452
Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Company Policy; Human Factors; Airport
After landing at BUF; we were taxiing to our gate. We were on the taxiway taxiing to the gate and noticed a parked CRJ aircraft that had been parked for night. Our aircraft was on the taxiway centerline and the CRJ was parked east of the centerline and inside an area that was marked with double dashed yellow lines. As we taxied down the taxiway; we noticed that the CRJ aircraft; which was parked; chocked; and shut down for the night didn't seem to be pushed back far enough away from the taxiway centerline to allow our aircraft to taxi past. It appeared to be parked far enough away from the taxiway centerline to allow another CRJ or EMB-170/175 to pass by; but not for a Boeing or Airbus. We made the decision to stop the aircraft on the taxiway and discontinue our taxi to our gate until we had company Ramp Personnel in place to provide wing walkers in order to ensure adequate clearance.We notified the Ground Controller that a CRJ was parked for the night and that it was parked in such a way that it didn't provide any wingtip clearance for our aircraft to taxi past it. While waiting for company Ramp Personnel to get in place to wing walk our aircraft; I took notice of the CRJ's placement on the ramp and of where our left wingtip position was in relation to asphalt paving lines on the ramp. Had we continued to taxi down the taxiway the scimitar on our left wingtip would have struck the right side flight deck of the parked CRJ; despite the fact that our aircraft's nose wheel was on the taxiway centerline. Once Company Personnel arrived; they quickly noticed the proximity of the parked CRJ to the taxiway centerline; all in relation to our aircraft's position on the taxiway. At that point; we had stopped our taxi far enough away from the parked CRJ to allow for me to deviate right of the taxiway centerline in order to miss colliding with the parked CRJ aircraft. Once company Ramp Personnel were in place; we deviated right of the taxiway centerline enough to provide adequate wingtip clearance on both our wingtips and then continued our taxi to our gate; once past the conflicting parked CRJ aircraft. I spoke with a Supervisor once parked at the gate. I expressed the safety hazard associated with the parked CRJ aircraft; especially on a dark dimly lit ramp. I thanked him for quickly gathering company Ramp Personnel to come out and assist us in getting the aircraft safely to the gate in an uneventful manner.The First Officer spoke with Ramp Personnel during his postflight walkaround and thanked them for their help. Company Ramp Personnel were very apologetic (but it wasn't any fault on Company Personnel) and gracious in extending their thanks for noting the taxi obstruction and alluded to the First Officer that other companies routinely park aircraft east of this taxiway without regard to potential safety hazards that the parked aircraft may exhibit. When I spoke with the company Supervisor the following day; he also echoed the comments of company Ramp Personnel the night prior. I explained to him that I understood he had no control over the actions of other airline employees. I asked him to forward our potential collision hazard incident to Station Supervisors and asked that they speak with personnel about the hazards of other companies parking airplanes in such close proximity to the only active taxiway to aircraft gates on the east side of the terminal.
B737 Captain reported an aircraft not parked properly at a remote stand did not provide enough clearance to taxi past when taxiing on centerline at BUF airport.