Narrative:

Normal landing and taxi into ramp. Approaching gate area and no guide man in sight! Contacted ramp. They said they would send one! Several mins later someone appeared but had no taxi (lighted wands), so these had to be located. Finally guide man began to wave aircraft toward stop line, approximately speed 2 KTS or less as we were nearing the stop line guideman gave an emergency stop signal. I broke hard immediately stopping aircraft. At this time I felt a vibration or thumping in the air frame and immediately shut down both engines (18' from stop line). Departing the aircraft we found that a start/aircraft cart had been parked under the jet bridge (unauthorized) with the aircraft hose stowed in its stowage area but the doors weren't closed and latched. As aircraft approached gate position the air conditioner hose was sucked into the #1 engine causing excessive (major) damage. Probable causes and cures: 1) new guide man, excess enthusiasm, not his arrival but trying to help out. Did not. A) clear the area, B) was not familiar with aircraft type and size, C) had no wing walkers. 2) jet bridge was positioned over and up against the aircraft cart making it appear that (visually) the area was clear. After aircraft past the jet bridge it was moved it left the cart sitting in open and close to engine when aircraft parked. 3) may also have been averted had dade county port authority allowed the painting of equipment parking areas on ramp.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW TAKING GUIDANCE FROM INEXPERIENCED GND CREW MAN TAXIED NEXT TO MISPARKED START CART ALLOWING ENGINE SUCTION TO PULL START CART HOSE INTO ENGINE RESULTING IN MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE.

Narrative: NORMAL LNDG AND TAXI INTO RAMP. APCHING GATE AREA AND NO GUIDE MAN IN SIGHT! CONTACTED RAMP. THEY SAID THEY WOULD SEND ONE! SEVERAL MINS LATER SOMEONE APPEARED BUT HAD NO TAXI (LIGHTED WANDS), SO THESE HAD TO BE LOCATED. FINALLY GUIDE MAN BEGAN TO WAVE ACFT TOWARD STOP LINE, APPROX SPD 2 KTS OR LESS AS WE WERE NEARING THE STOP LINE GUIDEMAN GAVE AN EMER STOP SIGNAL. I BROKE HARD IMMEDIATELY STOPPING ACFT. AT THIS TIME I FELT A VIBRATION OR THUMPING IN THE AIR FRAME AND IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS (18' FROM STOP LINE). DEPARTING THE ACFT WE FOUND THAT A START/ACFT CART HAD BEEN PARKED UNDER THE JET BRIDGE (UNAUTH) WITH THE ACFT HOSE STOWED IN ITS STOWAGE AREA BUT THE DOORS WEREN'T CLOSED AND LATCHED. AS ACFT APCHED GATE POS THE AIR CONDITIONER HOSE WAS SUCKED INTO THE #1 ENG CAUSING EXCESSIVE (MAJOR) DAMAGE. PROBABLE CAUSES AND CURES: 1) NEW GUIDE MAN, EXCESS ENTHUSIASM, NOT HIS ARR BUT TRYING TO HELP OUT. DID NOT. A) CLR THE AREA, B) WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH ACFT TYPE AND SIZE, C) HAD NO WING WALKERS. 2) JET BRIDGE WAS POSITIONED OVER AND UP AGAINST THE ACFT CART MAKING IT APPEAR THAT (VISUALLY) THE AREA WAS CLR. AFTER ACFT PAST THE JET BRIDGE IT WAS MOVED IT LEFT THE CART SITTING IN OPEN AND CLOSE TO ENG WHEN ACFT PARKED. 3) MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN AVERTED HAD DADE COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY ALLOWED THE PAINTING OF EQUIP PARKING AREAS ON RAMP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.