Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Weather
While taxiing into gate for a tow in; on centerline; the taxi director gave the stop signal. We then noticed a tug with 5 cans in tow approaching the left side of the aircraft ahead of the wing at a 45 degree angle. The tug served and missed the aircraft by 15 feet. The tug driver did a 180 and drove off. Taxi director; ramp tower or aircrew could not get an asset number. Slow down during night inclement weather and pay attention to aircraft moving.
Our aircraft was assigned an arrival gate; which required a tow-in. While taxiing in the courtyard at a normal slow rate of speed; I noticed the marshallers lighted wands go from the all clear position to an emergency stop position. I immediately stopped the aircraft; and then noticed a tug driver with carts in tow trying to avoid contact with our aircraft's forward left side. Fortunately he was able to maneuver to keep clear and not strike the aircraft. Prior to this; the taxi in area was all clear and I had just turned off the aircraft's taxi light so as to not blind our Marshaller as we approached the gate. All flight deck crew members were vigilant during the taxi in and only noticed the tug driver after our aircraft was stopped. This indicates the tug driver was apparently moving at a good rate of speed and never saw our aircraft until the last minute.
Air Carrier flight crew reports near collision with a tug pulling carts during taxi in under Marshaller's direction.