Narrative:

Approaching gate xx, dfw terminal for parking, green light was on and the aircraft was aligned with lead-in panel. As we approached the stop point, I was distracted as the first officer was noting that the jet bridge was at a low level with no agent on the bridge and he (first officer) was calling ramp control to inform them. Concurrently, I realized that the red stop light had illuminated and stopped the aircraft. At that point we were not aware of any problem (having 'felt' nothing) although I did realize I had stopped forward of the stop point. We secured the engines and it took a few mins before ramp personnel hooked into the aircraft intercom and informed me that the #1 engine cowl had contacted the jet bridge and that personnel attempting to move the jet bridge had further impacted the bridge into the cowl. A tug was then hooked up, aircraft moved aft, and normal passenger deplaning via jet bridge was accomplished. A combination of factors caused this incident. The first officer and I had difficulty discerning the red/green lights as we approached this particular gate. The lights are smaller and dimmer than at most gates system-wide and the late morning sun was very bright and shining directly on them causing them to be even less discernable. I was distracted at a critical time and apparently did not immediately notice the red light illuminate. I feel that the more standard or commonly installed larger and brighter lights would certainly have made a difference in this situation. An added procedure of all cockpit crew members' attention being focused to the outside of the aircraft at the critical phase of parking would have made a difference. Finally a sure fix would be to have a guideman with wands at the appropriate ht for cockpit visibility to guide/line up and stop aircraft at all gates. Supplemental information from acn 229603: the stop line was probably overshot by about 10 ft (just an estimate). The aircraft was pushed back and normal passenger deplaning took place. An approximately 6-9 inch hole in the cowl at the 12 O'clock position resulted. Supplemental information from acn 229604: how could this accident have been avoided? Attention to detail and utilizing the assistance of the copilot more.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED AS IT TAXIES INTO JETWAY DURING RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC.

Narrative: APCHING GATE XX, DFW TERMINAL FOR PARKING, GREEN LIGHT WAS ON AND THE ACFT WAS ALIGNED WITH LEAD-IN PANEL. AS WE APCHED THE STOP POINT, I WAS DISTRACTED AS THE FO WAS NOTING THAT THE JET BRIDGE WAS AT A LOW LEVEL WITH NO AGENT ON THE BRIDGE AND HE (FO) WAS CALLING RAMP CTL TO INFORM THEM. CONCURRENTLY, I REALIZED THAT THE RED STOP LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED AND STOPPED THE ACFT. AT THAT POINT WE WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROB (HAVING 'FELT' NOTHING) ALTHOUGH I DID REALIZE I HAD STOPPED FORWARD OF THE STOP POINT. WE SECURED THE ENGS AND IT TOOK A FEW MINS BEFORE RAMP PERSONNEL HOOKED INTO THE ACFT INTERCOM AND INFORMED ME THAT THE #1 ENG COWL HAD CONTACTED THE JET BRIDGE AND THAT PERSONNEL ATTEMPTING TO MOVE THE JET BRIDGE HAD FURTHER IMPACTED THE BRIDGE INTO THE COWL. A TUG WAS THEN HOOKED UP, ACFT MOVED AFT, AND NORMAL PAX DEPLANING VIA JET BRIDGE WAS ACCOMPLISHED. A COMBINATION OF FACTORS CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. THE FO AND I HAD DIFFICULTY DISCERNING THE RED/GREEN LIGHTS AS WE APCHED THIS PARTICULAR GATE. THE LIGHTS ARE SMALLER AND DIMMER THAN AT MOST GATES SYS-WIDE AND THE LATE MORNING SUN WAS VERY BRIGHT AND SHINING DIRECTLY ON THEM CAUSING THEM TO BE EVEN LESS DISCERNABLE. I WAS DISTRACTED AT A CRITICAL TIME AND APPARENTLY DID NOT IMMEDIATELY NOTICE THE RED LIGHT ILLUMINATE. I FEEL THAT THE MORE STANDARD OR COMMONLY INSTALLED LARGER AND BRIGHTER LIGHTS WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS SIT. AN ADDED PROC OF ALL COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS' ATTN BEING FOCUSED TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT AT THE CRITICAL PHASE OF PARKING WOULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE. FINALLY A SURE FIX WOULD BE TO HAVE A GUIDEMAN WITH WANDS AT THE APPROPRIATE HT FOR COCKPIT VISIBILITY TO GUIDE/LINE UP AND STOP ACFT AT ALL GATES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 229603: THE STOP LINE WAS PROBABLY OVERSHOT BY ABOUT 10 FT (JUST AN ESTIMATE). THE ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK AND NORMAL PAX DEPLANING TOOK PLACE. AN APPROX 6-9 INCH HOLE IN THE COWL AT THE 12 O'CLOCK POS RESULTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 229604: HOW COULD THIS ACCIDENT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED? ATTN TO DETAIL AND UTILIZING THE ASSISTANCE OF THE COPLT MORE.

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.