Air carrier widebody transport hit a jet bridge taxiing to the gate at lhr.

Attributes
ACN	194924
Time
Date	199110
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lhr
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	194924
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight from mia to lhr initial qualification on european division. Gate assigned was not one normally used by company and guidemen were not provided per procedure. Self parking was in use using agnis for centerline guidance and smb or papa system for stop alignment with stopping system in use charted to be placarded at the agnis position. None of the flight deck crew familiar with the system in use nor recognize the stop system in use at the assigned gate. There was no placarding provided and the aircraft was parked without stopping reference. It was later reported that the left engine nose cowl impacted a portion of the furthest out of 2 jet bridges at that gate, resulting in a dent at the 2 O'clock position some 6 inches in diameter and a couple of inches deep. Incident investigated by aaib and statements on file with the british department of transportation and the FAA. Moral: when in doubt or in unfamiliar territory on the ground, park it and let the ground support people grumble all they want while they tow it where they want it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB HIT A JET BRIDGE TAXIING TO THE GATE AT LHR.

Narrative: FLT FROM MIA TO LHR INITIAL QUALIFICATION ON EUROPEAN DIVISION. GATE ASSIGNED WAS NOT ONE NORMALLY USED BY COMPANY AND GUIDEMEN WERE NOT PROVIDED PER PROC. SELF PARKING WAS IN USE USING AGNIS FOR CENTERLINE GUIDANCE AND SMB OR PAPA SYS FOR STOP ALIGNMENT WITH STOPPING SYS IN USE CHARTED TO BE PLACARDED AT THE AGNIS POS. NONE OF THE FLT DECK CREW FAMILIAR WITH THE SYS IN USE NOR RECOGNIZE THE STOP SYS IN USE AT THE ASSIGNED GATE. THERE WAS NO PLACARDING PROVIDED AND THE ACFT WAS PARKED WITHOUT STOPPING REF. IT WAS LATER RPTED THAT THE L ENG NOSE COWL IMPACTED A PORTION OF THE FURTHEST OUT OF 2 JET BRIDGES AT THAT GATE, RESULTING IN A DENT AT THE 2 O'CLOCK POS SOME 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND A COUPLE OF INCHES DEEP. INCIDENT INVESTIGATED BY AAIB AND STATEMENTS ON FILE WITH THE BRITISH DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE FAA. MORAL: WHEN IN DOUBT OR IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY ON THE GND, PARK IT AND LET THE GND SUPPORT PEOPLE GRUMBLE ALL THEY WANT WHILE THEY TOW IT WHERE THEY WANT IT.

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.