Narrative:

Normal flight through landing and taxi in. A left turn was made in towards lead-in line for gate. Approaching gate, a company guide person took position and assumed positive guidance control of aircraft. I told captain it was 'all clear on the right side'. Guide person continued to guide us towards stop point. By this point, jetway filled the view field out of left window -- left wing could not be seen anymore. An additional ramp person was near nosewheel standing by with chocks. About 2' from stop line, plane begins shuddering strongly and loud noise can be heard coming from left engine. Despite this, guide person continues to beckon us forward unaware of the problem. Captain immediately sets brake and shuts down both engines. A strong smell of burning rubber enters cockpit. The grounds crew had been anticipating an large transport, not an medium large transport. They had left a portable heater cart on the ramp approximately where an large transport would need it (wing-body/belly). Our #1 nacelle was only 3-5 from this cart and subsequently sucked up the unsecured heater hose (a 10-inch diameter, rubber, wire-coiled hose with a metal-ended collar at one end). This hose was pulled with such force as to be torn completely off of the heater unit and ingested into the engine, some parts being spit out the tailpipe as burnt rubber shreds. No fire was indicated and passenger were deplaned normally. The guide person came to cockpit and freely admitted and took full responsibility for the incident. The engine suffered extensive damage and needs replacement. The ramp at bgr needs painted markings on the concrete designating lateral limits for ground equipment so flight crews do not have to entrust millions of dollars of airplane to distracted ground personnel. More training should be required for grounds crew personnel in dealing with low-slung, high-bypass engines as more of these types appear everywhere.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE PARKING, MLG SUCKS A HOSE FROM A HEATER CART INTO THE #1 ENGINE.

Narrative: NORMAL FLT THROUGH LNDG AND TAXI IN. A LEFT TURN WAS MADE IN TOWARDS LEAD-IN LINE FOR GATE. APCHING GATE, A COMPANY GUIDE PERSON TOOK POSITION AND ASSUMED POSITIVE GUIDANCE CTL OF ACFT. I TOLD CAPT IT WAS 'ALL CLEAR ON THE RIGHT SIDE'. GUIDE PERSON CONTINUED TO GUIDE US TOWARDS STOP POINT. BY THIS POINT, JETWAY FILLED THE VIEW FIELD OUT OF LEFT WINDOW -- LEFT WING COULD NOT BE SEEN ANYMORE. AN ADDITIONAL RAMP PERSON WAS NEAR NOSEWHEEL STANDING BY WITH CHOCKS. ABOUT 2' FROM STOP LINE, PLANE BEGINS SHUDDERING STRONGLY AND LOUD NOISE CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM LEFT ENGINE. DESPITE THIS, GUIDE PERSON CONTINUES TO BECKON US FORWARD UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM. CAPT IMMEDIATELY SETS BRAKE AND SHUTS DOWN BOTH ENGINES. A STRONG SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER ENTERS COCKPIT. THE GNDS CREW HAD BEEN ANTICIPATING AN LGT, NOT AN MLG. THEY HAD LEFT A PORTABLE HEATER CART ON THE RAMP APPROX WHERE AN LGT WOULD NEED IT (WING-BODY/BELLY). OUR #1 NACELLE WAS ONLY 3-5 FROM THIS CART AND SUBSEQUENTLY SUCKED UP THE UNSECURED HEATER HOSE (A 10-INCH DIAMETER, RUBBER, WIRE-COILED HOSE WITH A METAL-ENDED COLLAR AT ONE END). THIS HOSE WAS PULLED WITH SUCH FORCE AS TO BE TORN COMPLETELY OFF OF THE HEATER UNIT AND INGESTED INTO THE ENGINE, SOME PARTS BEING SPIT OUT THE TAILPIPE AS BURNT RUBBER SHREDS. NO FIRE WAS INDICATED AND PAX WERE DEPLANED NORMALLY. THE GUIDE PERSON CAME TO COCKPIT AND FREELY ADMITTED AND TOOK FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INCIDENT. THE ENGINE SUFFERED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. THE RAMP AT BGR NEEDS PAINTED MARKINGS ON THE CONCRETE DESIGNATING LATERAL LIMITS FOR GND EQUIPMENT SO FLT CREWS DO NOT HAVE TO ENTRUST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF AIRPLANE TO DISTRACTED GND PERSONNEL. MORE TRAINING SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR GNDS CREW PERSONNEL IN DEALING WITH LOW-SLUNG, HIGH-BYPASS ENGINES AS MORE OF THESE TYPES APPEAR EVERYWHERE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.