Narrative:

After landing in pit and receiving proper clearance into the ramp area, we taxied towards our assigned gate. We visually cleared the gate's ramp area and noted that our jetway was manned and in a normally cleared position. I then proceeded to use the self-parking/line up system to complete our gate arrival. The first nose wheel stopping mark visible in the mirror was the medium large transport 1 line, and I quickly scanned ahead noting only an 'large transport' and medium large transport Z beyond. I then stopped the aircraft. Concerned that our aircraft was out of position for deplaning via the jetway, I opened my sliding window and established communications with the ramp agents in the vicinity. The bottom of the jetway flood light was touching the #1 engine cowling. Another agent was able to raise the jetway and move it towards the forward entry door for deplaning without any towing of the aircraft. I inspected the #1 engine cowling with 2 maintenance foremen. We noted a tear in the top of the cowling skin. An appropriate logbook entry was made. The foremen both made unsolicited statements to the effect that similar incidents had previously occurred at the new terminal gates apparently due to faults in the self-parking system. I then inspected the ramp yellow lead-in line and noted the following: 1. The medium large transport-3 stop mark paint was faded and obscured by stains. 2. The flood lighting of the yellow lead-in line did not sufficiently illuminate the section containing the stop mark. 3. The mirror's position and field of vision was inadequate to display the medium large transport-3 stop mark to the cockpit. The great distance from the mirror to the medium large transport-3 mark makes the mark undiscernable in the mirror face.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MLG ACR HIT THE GATE AT THE NEW TERMINAL AT PIT.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG IN PIT AND RECEIVING PROPER CLRNC INTO THE RAMP AREA, WE TAXIED TOWARDS OUR ASSIGNED GATE. WE VISUALLY CLRED THE GATE'S RAMP AREA AND NOTED THAT OUR JETWAY WAS MANNED AND IN A NORMALLY CLRED POS. I THEN PROCEEDED TO USE THE SELF-PARKING/LINE UP SYS TO COMPLETE OUR GATE ARR. THE FIRST NOSE WHEEL STOPPING MARK VISIBLE IN THE MIRROR WAS THE MLG 1 LINE, AND I QUICKLY SCANNED AHEAD NOTING ONLY AN 'LGT' AND MLG Z BEYOND. I THEN STOPPED THE ACFT. CONCERNED THAT OUR ACFT WAS OUT OF POS FOR DEPLANING VIA THE JETWAY, I OPENED MY SLIDING WINDOW AND ESTABLISHED COMS WITH THE RAMP AGENTS IN THE VICINITY. THE BOTTOM OF THE JETWAY FLOOD LIGHT WAS TOUCHING THE #1 ENG COWLING. ANOTHER AGENT WAS ABLE TO RAISE THE JETWAY AND MOVE IT TOWARDS THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR FOR DEPLANING WITHOUT ANY TOWING OF THE ACFT. I INSPECTED THE #1 ENG COWLING WITH 2 MAINT FOREMEN. WE NOTED A TEAR IN THE TOP OF THE COWLING SKIN. AN APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE. THE FOREMEN BOTH MADE UNSOLICITED STATEMENTS TO THE EFFECT THAT SIMILAR INCIDENTS HAD PREVIOUSLY OCCURRED AT THE NEW TERMINAL GATES APPARENTLY DUE TO FAULTS IN THE SELF-PARKING SYS. I THEN INSPECTED THE RAMP YELLOW LEAD-IN LINE AND NOTED THE FOLLOWING: 1. THE MLG-3 STOP MARK PAINT WAS FADED AND OBSCURED BY STAINS. 2. THE FLOOD LIGHTING OF THE YELLOW LEAD-IN LINE DID NOT SUFFICIENTLY ILLUMINATE THE SECTION CONTAINING THE STOP MARK. 3. THE MIRROR'S POS AND FIELD OF VISION WAS INADEQUATE TO DISPLAY THE MLG-3 STOP MARK TO THE COCKPIT. THE GREAT DISTANCE FROM THE MIRROR TO THE MLG-3 MARK MAKES THE MARK UNDISCERNABLE IN THE MIRROR FACE.

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.