B737 moving into gate #2 engine shut down, #1 at idle. Marshaller gave urgent signal to shut down #!...

Attributes
ACN	365758
Time
Date	199704
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	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 8400
ASRS Report	365758
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
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	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

WX conditions at roc (wind 270-280 degrees/15g21 10 mi visibility with light to moderate snow, temperature 27 degrees, altimeter 30.08) on taxi-in. Approaching lead-in line to gate at roc, everything appeared normal. Parking area well lit and all clear areas and lead-in lines well marked and unobscured. Safety/foul areas were clear of any/all ground equipment. #2 engine was shut down approaching lead-in line, #1 engine at idle, and the aircraft slowly coasting toward the aircraft marshaller, following his directions. As the marshaller brought the aircraft to a stop, I felt a vibration (which I thought was the gusty wind at first). The marshaller immediately gave me the #1 engine shut down signal (which I shut down) and I immediately heard a grinding/clanking sound. I opened my window, looked back at the #1 engine and saw an external heater ducting hose in the #1 engine intake. There were sparks coming from the rotating fan blades but no fire. The passenger exited the aircraft in a normal calm manner without incident. Apparently a gust of wind blew the ducting hose off the top of the heater cart toward the #1 engine and thus sucked it up into the #1 engine and proceeded to grind up the hose as well as the attaching mechanism. One solution would be attach hose to cart more securely when not in use (other than wrapping it around the top of cart) or not allow that type cart around safety foul area until aircraft is shut down and secured.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 MOVING INTO GATE #2 ENG SHUT DOWN, #1 AT IDLE. MARSHALLER GAVE URGENT SIGNAL TO SHUT DOWN #!. HEARD GRINDING NOISE AND CHKING #1 ENG, SAW HEATER HOSE IN THE COWL AREA. PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY.

Narrative: WX CONDITIONS AT ROC (WIND 270-280 DEGS/15G21 10 MI VISIBILITY WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW, TEMP 27 DEGS, ALTIMETER 30.08) ON TAXI-IN. APCHING LEAD-IN LINE TO GATE AT ROC, EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. PARKING AREA WELL LIT AND ALL CLR AREAS AND LEAD-IN LINES WELL MARKED AND UNOBSCURED. SAFETY/FOUL AREAS WERE CLR OF ANY/ALL GND EQUIP. #2 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN APCHING LEAD-IN LINE, #1 ENG AT IDLE, AND THE ACFT SLOWLY COASTING TOWARD THE ACFT MARSHALLER, FOLLOWING HIS DIRECTIONS. AS THE MARSHALLER BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP, I FELT A VIBRATION (WHICH I THOUGHT WAS THE GUSTY WIND AT FIRST). THE MARSHALLER IMMEDIATELY GAVE ME THE #1 ENG SHUT DOWN SIGNAL (WHICH I SHUT DOWN) AND I IMMEDIATELY HEARD A GRINDING/CLANKING SOUND. I OPENED MY WINDOW, LOOKED BACK AT THE #1 ENG AND SAW AN EXTERNAL HEATER DUCTING HOSE IN THE #1 ENG INTAKE. THERE WERE SPARKS COMING FROM THE ROTATING FAN BLADES BUT NO FIRE. THE PAX EXITED THE ACFT IN A NORMAL CALM MANNER WITHOUT INCIDENT. APPARENTLY A GUST OF WIND BLEW THE DUCTING HOSE OFF THE TOP OF THE HEATER CART TOWARD THE #1 ENG AND THUS SUCKED IT UP INTO THE #1 ENG AND PROCEEDED TO GRIND UP THE HOSE AS WELL AS THE ATTACHING MECHANISM. ONE SOLUTION WOULD BE ATTACH HOSE TO CART MORE SECURELY WHEN NOT IN USE (OTHER THAN WRAPPING IT AROUND THE TOP OF CART) OR NOT ALLOW THAT TYPE CART AROUND SAFETY FOUL AREA UNTIL ACFT IS SHUT DOWN AND SECURED.

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.

B737 moving into gate #2 engine shut down, #1 at idle. Marshaller gave urgent signal to shut down #!. Heard grinding noise and checking #1 engine, saw heater hose in the cowl area. Passenger deplaned normally.