An air carrier B-737 hit a jetway with its wingtip.

Attributes
ACN	275699
Time
Date	199406
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8900 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	275699
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	275698
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During preflight ground operations, engine start on both engines was accomplished to facilitate a tight right turn away from parking at roc gate and allow for a minimum takeoff delay on nearby runway 22. After checklist completion, the captain requested I get taxi clearance from ATC ground control. This took place while the jetway retracted from the aircraft entrance door and swung aft from the aircraft's nose. The ATC clearance was obtained while the lone engine start observer/aircraft marshaller/jetway marshaller walked aft from his position low in front of the captain's windshield to marshall the repositioning of the jetway (out of view) toward a position aft and away from the aircraft entrance door. Coupled with the departure of the marshaller from view, the captain perceived this sequence of events to mean that the aircraft was then clear of obstructions. The aircraft was placed in motion to make an immediate right turn from the gate area and the left wing leading edge struck the jetway a few ft inboard of the wingtip. The aircraft was stopped. The engine start and marshalling sequence used standard hand signals, but did not use ground-to-cockpit headset communications. A single individual was performing all 3 ground observer functions: engine start guard, aircraft taxi marshaller, and jetway marshaller. His position on the ground relative to me in the right seat made my assistance to the captain impossible as I couldn't see the marshaller from my seat. While I could and did inform the captain that there were no obstructions on my side prior to taxi out, I understood the captain had received the normal all clear salute from the marshaller who was out of my field of view on the left side of the aircraft. Recommendations: 1) all starts/taxi clrncs from marshallers be made with headsets equipped with noise suppressing microphones. 2) taxi outs from jetways/airstairs (non pushbacks) should use 2 marshallers as a minimum. 3) start guards and marshallers should ensure they position themselves at all times so that both pilots can continuously observe all signals from either flight deck seat.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B-737 HIT A JETWAY WITH ITS WINGTIP.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT GND OPS, ENG START ON BOTH ENGS WAS ACCOMPLISHED TO FACILITATE A TIGHT R TURN AWAY FROM PARKING AT ROC GATE AND ALLOW FOR A MINIMUM TKOF DELAY ON NEARBY RWY 22. AFTER CHKLIST COMPLETION, THE CAPT REQUESTED I GET TAXI CLRNC FROM ATC GND CTL. THIS TOOK PLACE WHILE THE JETWAY RETRACTED FROM THE ACFT ENTRANCE DOOR AND SWUNG AFT FROM THE ACFT'S NOSE. THE ATC CLRNC WAS OBTAINED WHILE THE LONE ENG START OBSERVER/ACFT MARSHALLER/JETWAY MARSHALLER WALKED AFT FROM HIS POS LOW IN FRONT OF THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD TO MARSHALL THE REPOSITIONING OF THE JETWAY (OUT OF VIEW) TOWARD A POS AFT AND AWAY FROM THE ACFT ENTRANCE DOOR. COUPLED WITH THE DEP OF THE MARSHALLER FROM VIEW, THE CAPT PERCEIVED THIS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS TO MEAN THAT THE ACFT WAS THEN CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS. THE ACFT WAS PLACED IN MOTION TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN FROM THE GATE AREA AND THE L WING LEADING EDGE STRUCK THE JETWAY A FEW FT INBOARD OF THE WINGTIP. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED. THE ENG START AND MARSHALLING SEQUENCE USED STANDARD HAND SIGNALS, BUT DID NOT USE GND-TO-COCKPIT HEADSET COMS. A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL WAS PERFORMING ALL 3 GND OBSERVER FUNCTIONS: ENG START GUARD, ACFT TAXI MARSHALLER, AND JETWAY MARSHALLER. HIS POS ON THE GND RELATIVE TO ME IN THE R SEAT MADE MY ASSISTANCE TO THE CAPT IMPOSSIBLE AS I COULDN'T SEE THE MARSHALLER FROM MY SEAT. WHILE I COULD AND DID INFORM THE CAPT THAT THERE WERE NO OBSTRUCTIONS ON MY SIDE PRIOR TO TAXI OUT, I UNDERSTOOD THE CAPT HAD RECEIVED THE NORMAL ALL CLR SALUTE FROM THE MARSHALLER WHO WAS OUT OF MY FIELD OF VIEW ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) ALL STARTS/TAXI CLRNCS FROM MARSHALLERS BE MADE WITH HEADSETS EQUIPPED WITH NOISE SUPPRESSING MICROPHONES. 2) TAXI OUTS FROM JETWAYS/AIRSTAIRS (NON PUSHBACKS) SHOULD USE 2 MARSHALLERS AS A MINIMUM. 3) START GUARDS AND MARSHALLERS SHOULD ENSURE THEY POS THEMSELVES AT ALL TIMES SO THAT BOTH PLTS CAN CONTINUOUSLY OBSERVE ALL SIGNALS FROM EITHER FLT DECK SEAT.

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.