Commercial Fixed Wing
Time Pressure
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
Aircraft arrived at gate approximately one hour late. All ramp teams were occupied with other arrivals. Pilot revved engines in apparent frustration at no one being able to park him. He was about halfway down the lead-in line as I left another gate. As teams finished; it was announced on the radio; that [the aircraft] still needed to be parked. Several of us went to the gate to find that the flight crew had parked themselves with no marshallers. In talking with other co-workers who were in the area; it was learned that the pilots had motioned to the gate agent; who was waiting in the jet bridge; as to how far away they were from the stop line; and she motioned back. The operations agent then spoke to the crew; saying that doing that was a major safety issue and the pilot (I don't know which one) says that he 'does it all the time'. The operations agent also spoke to a flight attendant who confirmed this. The operations agent then contacted [the airline] to report the incident. I do not know if the video from the gate cameras has been examined.
Ramp employee reported an air carrier aircraft self-parked at the gate when there were no personnel on hand to park him.