Narrative:

After parking on gate at iad the aircraft's #1 (left) engine ingested what appeared to be a wooden crate of metallic parts. The crate was, apparently, on a baggage cart that was parked between the jetway and the red line, ie, parked legally. After the engines were shut down, the marshaller, who parked us, gave the 'chocks in' signal and walked away. Pilot witnesses in a B737-200 on an adjacent gate reported that this individual then ran to the baggage cart and moved it. He then departed the gate area without telling anyone of the damage to the #1 engine. We had heard a noise after parking which we both thought was the jetway being moved to the airplane. However, the first clue we had that there was a problem was when a deplaning passenger reported to the captain that something had possibly been 'sucked into' the #1 engine. We both inspected the #1 engine, which appeared to be substantially damaged. Maintenance personnel grounded the aircraft. It appeared to me later that the ramp markings (red line, etc) that are meant to protect aircraft and ground equipment were not appropriate for the forward location of the B737-300 engines. In fact, it appeared that a DC9 was probably used as the template for marking the ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER PARKING AT GATE AT IAD THE ACFT #1 ENG INGESTED A WOODEN CRATE OF METALLIC PARTS. THE CART HOLDING THE WOODEN CRATE WAS PARKED LEGALLY AS WAS THE ACFT AND JETWAY. THE LINES FOR PARKING CARTS WERE PAINTED PROBABLY FOR A DC9 TO BE PARKED AT THIS GATE.

Narrative: AFTER PARKING ON GATE AT IAD THE ACFT'S #1 (L) ENG INGESTED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A WOODEN CRATE OF METALLIC PARTS. THE CRATE WAS, APPARENTLY, ON A BAGGAGE CART THAT WAS PARKED BTWN THE JETWAY AND THE RED LINE, IE, PARKED LEGALLY. AFTER THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN, THE MARSHALLER, WHO PARKED US, GAVE THE 'CHOCKS IN' SIGNAL AND WALKED AWAY. PLT WITNESSES IN A B737-200 ON AN ADJACENT GATE RPTED THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL THEN RAN TO THE BAGGAGE CART AND MOVED IT. HE THEN DEPARTED THE GATE AREA WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE OF THE DAMAGE TO THE #1 ENG. WE HAD HEARD A NOISE AFTER PARKING WHICH WE BOTH THOUGHT WAS THE JETWAY BEING MOVED TO THE AIRPLANE. HOWEVER, THE FIRST CLUE WE HAD THAT THERE WAS A PROB WAS WHEN A DEPLANING PAX RPTED TO THE CAPT THAT SOMETHING HAD POSSIBLY BEEN 'SUCKED INTO' THE #1 ENG. WE BOTH INSPECTED THE #1 ENG, WHICH APPEARED TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. MAINT PERSONNEL GNDED THE ACFT. IT APPEARED TO ME LATER THAT THE RAMP MARKINGS (RED LINE, ETC) THAT ARE MEANT TO PROTECT ACFT AND GND EQUIP WERE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE FORWARD LOCATION OF THE B737-300 ENGS. IN FACT, IT APPEARED THAT A DC9 WAS PROBABLY USED AS THE TEMPLATE FOR MARKING THE RAMP.

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.