Narrative:

The angle of the sun caused the lead-in lights of the accupark at sfo gate to appear operational. We continued to taxi until we felt too close to the terminal for a normal operation. We suspected the accupark was not functioning properly and stopped the aircraft. We were later informed that the aircraft wing had contacted the jetway. Contributing factors: no prior information from ramp control that the accupark may not be functional and that a guideman might be necessary. Morning sun was directly in or faces obscuring our vision. Windshields were very dirty from flight further obscuring our vision. Numerous ground personnel in the gate area presented an 'operations normal' appearance that everyone was in place. No indication from ground personnel or ramp control that we were taxiing close to a jetway. All pilots were uninformed of any problems until the first officer contacted the company ramp to query the location of the passenger agents. That's when we were first informed 'aircraft damage'. Mechanics did not connect to aircraft interphone for a long time and when they did, we were not informed of any problems. Solutions: have a guideman park the aircraft during early morning flts when the accupark information may be obscured by local conditions. Company operations should inform the crew if accupark will not be operating and a guideman will assist in the parking operation. Train all ground personnel to 'speak up' and take action if a serious problem is detected, ie, the hand signal to stop the aircraft immediately. Supplemental information from acn 223640. Widebody aircraft need to have the windscreen cleaned more frequently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ACFT'S WING TIP STRIKES JETWAY DURING RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC.

Narrative: THE ANGLE OF THE SUN CAUSED THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS OF THE ACCUPARK AT SFO GATE TO APPEAR OPERATIONAL. WE CONTINUED TO TAXI UNTIL WE FELT TOO CLOSE TO THE TERMINAL FOR A NORMAL OP. WE SUSPECTED THE ACCUPARK WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND STOPPED THE ACFT. WE WERE LATER INFORMED THAT THE ACFT WING HAD CONTACTED THE JETWAY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NO PRIOR INFO FROM RAMP CTL THAT THE ACCUPARK MAY NOT BE FUNCTIONAL AND THAT A GUIDEMAN MIGHT BE NECESSARY. MORNING SUN WAS DIRECTLY IN OR FACES OBSCURING OUR VISION. WINDSHIELDS WERE VERY DIRTY FROM FLT FURTHER OBSCURING OUR VISION. NUMEROUS GND PERSONNEL IN THE GATE AREA PRESENTED AN 'OPS NORMAL' APPEARANCE THAT EVERYONE WAS IN PLACE. NO INDICATION FROM GND PERSONNEL OR RAMP CTL THAT WE WERE TAXIING CLOSE TO A JETWAY. ALL PLTS WERE UNINFORMED OF ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL THE FO CONTACTED THE COMPANY RAMP TO QUERY THE LOCATION OF THE PAX AGENTS. THAT'S WHEN WE WERE FIRST INFORMED 'ACFT DAMAGE'. MECHS DID NOT CONNECT TO ACFT INTERPHONE FOR A LONG TIME AND WHEN THEY DID, WE WERE NOT INFORMED OF ANY PROBLEMS. SOLUTIONS: HAVE A GUIDEMAN PARK THE ACFT DURING EARLY MORNING FLTS WHEN THE ACCUPARK INFO MAY BE OBSCURED BY LCL CONDITIONS. COMPANY OPS SHOULD INFORM THE CREW IF ACCUPARK WILL NOT BE OPERATING AND A GUIDEMAN WILL ASSIST IN THE PARKING OP. TRAIN ALL GND PERSONNEL TO 'SPEAK UP' AND TAKE ACTION IF A SERIOUS PROBLEM IS DETECTED, IE, THE HAND SIGNAL TO STOP THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 223640. WIDEBODY ACFT NEED TO HAVE THE WINDSCREEN CLEANED MORE FREQUENTLY.

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.