Narrative:

Flight sju to mia. A300. The flight had been uneventful from sju and the WX was clear. After landing, we were cleared to taxi to our gate. Once abeam the gate in the alleyway, the captain turned the aircraft left towards the extended yellow line and began complying with the marshaller's wand instructions. We were moving forward at 1-2 mph. My job at this point is to visually verify clearance of the plane's right side to avoid any ground equipment. With approximately 10 ft to go, I alternate my attention from the right window to the marshaller in front. Though the captain's attention is usually 100 percent to the front marshaller, I saw him glance down to his left at our company mechanic. He then applied final brakes. After this, the marshaller raised his wands to the crossed (stopped) position. There seemed to be confusion amongst the ground personnel. The jetway was repositioned and the marshaller directed us forward a short distance. Following the passenger disembarking, our mechanic showed the crew where the top portion of the #1 engine nose cowl was damaged from striking the underside of the jetway. Subsequent discussions and written statements revealed the cause of the mishap. When anticipating our arrival, the ground personnel had prepositioned their chocks beside the A310 hash mark, and directed the jetway operators to position the jetway to that point. The marshaller continued motioning us forward trying to get us to the A300 hash mark. He did not note the jetway's position, nor did he comply with the urgings of our mechanic or reference his left wing walker. Contributing factor: misplacement of the chocks. (We don't have an A310 in our fleet.) the marshallers need to be trained to divide their attention between the wing walkers and the hash mark. They should not fixate solely on the nosewheel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 TAXIING INTO GATE, AND FOLLOWING MARSHALLER'S DIRECTIONS, HAS ENG STRIKE THE JETWAY WHICH IS MISPOSITIONED.

Narrative: FLT SJU TO MIA. A300. THE FLT HAD BEEN UNEVENTFUL FROM SJU AND THE WX WAS CLR. AFTER LNDG, WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO OUR GATE. ONCE ABEAM THE GATE IN THE ALLEYWAY, THE CAPT TURNED THE ACFT LEFT TOWARDS THE EXTENDED YELLOW LINE AND BEGAN COMPLYING WITH THE MARSHALLER'S WAND INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE MOVING FORWARD AT 1-2 MPH. MY JOB AT THIS POINT IS TO VISUALLY VERIFY CLRNC OF THE PLANE'S R SIDE TO AVOID ANY GND EQUIP. WITH APPROX 10 FT TO GO, I ALTERNATE MY ATTN FROM THE R WINDOW TO THE MARSHALLER IN FRONT. THOUGH THE CAPT'S ATTN IS USUALLY 100 PERCENT TO THE FRONT MARSHALLER, I SAW HIM GLANCE DOWN TO HIS L AT OUR COMPANY MECH. HE THEN APPLIED FINAL BRAKES. AFTER THIS, THE MARSHALLER RAISED HIS WANDS TO THE CROSSED (STOPPED) POS. THERE SEEMED TO BE CONFUSION AMONGST THE GND PERSONNEL. THE JETWAY WAS REPOSITIONED AND THE MARSHALLER DIRECTED US FORWARD A SHORT DISTANCE. FOLLOWING THE PAX DISEMBARKING, OUR MECH SHOWED THE CREW WHERE THE TOP PORTION OF THE #1 ENG NOSE COWL WAS DAMAGED FROM STRIKING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE JETWAY. SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS AND WRITTEN STATEMENTS REVEALED THE CAUSE OF THE MISHAP. WHEN ANTICIPATING OUR ARR, THE GND PERSONNEL HAD PREPOSITIONED THEIR CHOCKS BESIDE THE A310 HASH MARK, AND DIRECTED THE JETWAY OPERATORS TO POS THE JETWAY TO THAT POINT. THE MARSHALLER CONTINUED MOTIONING US FORWARD TRYING TO GET US TO THE A300 HASH MARK. HE DID NOT NOTE THE JETWAY'S POS, NOR DID HE COMPLY WITH THE URGINGS OF OUR MECH OR REF HIS L WING WALKER. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: MISPLACEMENT OF THE CHOCKS. (WE DON'T HAVE AN A310 IN OUR FLEET.) THE MARSHALLERS NEED TO BE TRAINED TO DIVIDE THEIR ATTN BTWN THE WING WALKERS AND THE HASH MARK. THEY SHOULD NOT FIXATE SOLELY ON THE NOSEWHEEL.

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.