What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On feb 27, 2000, at approximately 1330 PST, swa flight 343 while taxiing to gate 5 made contact with a service vehicle damaging the #1 slat on the left side. The flight crew was following proper directions by parking marchals in inclement weather conditions requiring the use of wind shield wipers. A service truck was occupying a small area between gates 3B and 5. At the time of the incident this area was not properly marked as a "keep clear" zone. With no markings available, the driver of the truck assumed it was a safe zone. The size of the area, the height of the truck, and the geometry of the aircraft wing resulted in contact between aircraft and truck at the moment of parking at GATE5. The area in question has been painted and cross checked with markings to delineate a "keep clear" area to preclude future occurrences.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON FEB 27, 2000, AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 PST, SWA FLIGHT 343 WHILE TAXIING TO GATE 5 MADE CONTACT WITH A SERVICE VEHICLE DAMAGING THE #1 SLAT ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE FLIGHT CREW WAS FOLLOWING PROPER DIRECTIONS BY PARKING MARCHALS IN INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS REQUIRING THE USE OF WIND SHIELD WIPERS. A SERVICE TRUCK WAS OCCUPYING A SMALL AREA BETWEEN GATES 3B AND 5. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THIS AREA WAS NOT PROPERLY MARKED AS A "KEEP CLEAR" ZONE. WITH NO MARKINGS AVAILABLE, THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK ASSUMED IT WAS A SAFE ZONE. THE SIZE OF THE AREA, THE HEIGHT OF THE TRUCK, AND THE GEOMETRY OF THE AIRCRAFT WING RESULTED IN CONTACT BETWEEN AIRCRAFT AND TRUCK AT THE MOMENT OF PARKING AT GATE5. THE AREA IN QUESTION HAS BEEN PAINTED AND CROSS CHECKED WITH MARKINGS TO DELINEATE A "KEEP CLEAR" AREA TO PRECLUDE FUTURE OCCURRENCES.