Narrative:

After landing at london's heathrow airport, I was assigned a gate. This was the first time I had parked at this gate. The agnis (azimuth guidance for nose-in stands) and papa (parallax aircraft parking aid) were in operation. This was also the first time I had used this system. I made the left into the gate and found the agnis system to work very well. My first scan of the papa board, which is mounted off to the right, was at some distance. The board has 11 different aircraft types. I did not notice there was separate reference line for a widebody transport and widebody transport-xx. My aircraft was a widebody transport-xx. I continued to track the centerline using the agnis system and scan the papa board. The first aircraft types on the left side of the papa board are aircraft X,Y,Z. Reading from left to right I picked up X and used this as my stop line and in doing so I went past the xx stop line. After parking and securing the aircraft I was made aware that the left wing root had made contact with a motor protruding from the underside of the jet bridge. I believe this parking system has a very serious shortcoming in that it lacks an extremely necessary safeguard. A stop signal! A signal to stop an aircraft, whether it be before or after its intended stop point. A red stop light or a means of turning the system off should be available to an individual at the gate. The jet bridge that was struck had only one wheel in the alignment box painted on the ramp. I was told that this was within limits, however, had both wheels been in the box, I feel certain it would have provided sufficient clearance between the aircraft and the jet bridge. The first officer made the statement the ('we use the second hashmarks, or something to that effect'). Unfortunately 'hashmarks' did not trigger an alert. If he had been more positive and pointed out the fact that there was both a 'X and xx' reference line or used the word 'stop' it may have helped. We departed new york and arrived london being on duty about 8 1/2 hours and flew through 5 time zones.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB HAS CONTACT WITH JETWAY WHEN PARKING AT GATE DUE WRONG MODEL USED ON PAPA AID.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT LONDON'S HEATHROW ARPT, I WAS ASSIGNED A GATE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD PARKED AT THIS GATE. THE AGNIS (AZIMUTH GUIDANCE FOR NOSE-IN STANDS) AND PAPA (PARALLAX ACFT PARKING AID) WERE IN OP. THIS WAS ALSO THE FIRST TIME I HAD USED THIS SYS. I MADE THE L INTO THE GATE AND FOUND THE AGNIS SYS TO WORK VERY WELL. MY FIRST SCAN OF THE PAPA BOARD, WHICH IS MOUNTED OFF TO THE R, WAS AT SOME DISTANCE. THE BOARD HAS 11 DIFFERENT ACFT TYPES. I DID NOT NOTICE THERE WAS SEPARATE REF LINE FOR A WDB AND WDB-XX. MY ACFT WAS A WDB-XX. I CONTINUED TO TRACK THE CTRLINE USING THE AGNIS SYS AND SCAN THE PAPA BOARD. THE FIRST ACFT TYPES ON THE L SIDE OF THE PAPA BOARD ARE ACFT X,Y,Z. READING FROM L TO R I PICKED UP X AND USED THIS AS MY STOP LINE AND IN DOING SO I WENT PAST THE XX STOP LINE. AFTER PARKING AND SECURING THE ACFT I WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE L WING ROOT HAD MADE CONTACT WITH A MOTOR PROTRUDING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE JET BRIDGE. I BELIEVE THIS PARKING SYS HAS A VERY SERIOUS SHORTCOMING IN THAT IT LACKS AN EXTREMELY NECESSARY SAFEGUARD. A STOP SIGNAL! A SIGNAL TO STOP AN ACFT, WHETHER IT BE BEFORE OR AFTER ITS INTENDED STOP POINT. A RED STOP LIGHT OR A MEANS OF TURNING THE SYS OFF SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO AN INDIVIDUAL AT THE GATE. THE JET BRIDGE THAT WAS STRUCK HAD ONLY ONE WHEEL IN THE ALIGNMENT BOX PAINTED ON THE RAMP. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS WITHIN LIMITS, HOWEVER, HAD BOTH WHEELS BEEN IN THE BOX, I FEEL CERTAIN IT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED SUFFICIENT CLRNC BTWN THE ACFT AND THE JET BRIDGE. THE FO MADE THE STATEMENT THE ('WE USE THE SECOND HASHMARKS, OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT'). UNFORTUNATELY 'HASHMARKS' DID NOT TRIGGER AN ALERT. IF HE HAD BEEN MORE POSITIVE AND POINTED OUT THE FACT THAT THERE WAS BOTH A 'X AND XX' REF LINE OR USED THE WORD 'STOP' IT MAY HAVE HELPED. WE DEPARTED NEW YORK AND ARRIVED LONDON BEING ON DUTY ABOUT 8 1/2 HRS AND FLEW THROUGH 5 TIME ZONES.

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.