An air carrier B737 flight crew struck the jetway with the left engine cowling. The flight crew said...

Attributes
ACN	386378
Time
Date	199711
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
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
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	386378
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

While taxiing in to gate at dfw airport, we noticed the ramp area to be darker than others we use. We could not distinguish a taxi line, however, we could a black silhouette of a person with lighted wands marshalling us in. We noticed 3 other ground personnel on the right side of the aircraft near what appeared to be bag carts. The jetway appeared dark, but high and further away than at other stations. Very similar to the DC10 jetway we used the night before in msp. We followed the marshaller's directions all the way through the stop and chocks installed signals. The aircraft did not roll after the stop signal from the marshaller. It was at that time our gate agent came forward and told us we hit the jetway. I turned and noticed the jetway rubber lip parallel to the top of the left engine and outboard of the engine strut. The jetway was repositioned and we then inspected the aircraft for damage. The left outboard nose cowl was damaged by what appeared to be the lower jetway light. What could be done to prevent a similar occurrence: 1) light to ramp area so that everything and everybody can be seen. 2) use more than 1 taxi guide. Have someone or something near the spot where nosewheels are supposed to stop. 3) use more proactive personnel. If the other 3 grounds people saw something that wasn't correct, why didn't they say or do anything? 4) position the jetway in such a manner that if you taxi too far forward it can be readily recognized by the crew.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 FLC STRUCK THE JETWAY WITH THE L ENG COWLING. THE FLC SAID THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE LIGHTING IN THE AREA AND THE JETWAY WAS MISPOSITIONED.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING IN TO GATE AT DFW ARPT, WE NOTICED THE RAMP AREA TO BE DARKER THAN OTHERS WE USE. WE COULD NOT DISTINGUISH A TAXI LINE, HOWEVER, WE COULD A BLACK SILHOUETTE OF A PERSON WITH LIGHTED WANDS MARSHALLING US IN. WE NOTICED 3 OTHER GND PERSONNEL ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT NEAR WHAT APPEARED TO BE BAG CARTS. THE JETWAY APPEARED DARK, BUT HIGH AND FURTHER AWAY THAN AT OTHER STATIONS. VERY SIMILAR TO THE DC10 JETWAY WE USED THE NIGHT BEFORE IN MSP. WE FOLLOWED THE MARSHALLER'S DIRECTIONS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE STOP AND CHOCKS INSTALLED SIGNALS. THE ACFT DID NOT ROLL AFTER THE STOP SIGNAL FROM THE MARSHALLER. IT WAS AT THAT TIME OUR GATE AGENT CAME FORWARD AND TOLD US WE HIT THE JETWAY. I TURNED AND NOTICED THE JETWAY RUBBER LIP PARALLEL TO THE TOP OF THE L ENG AND OUTBOARD OF THE ENG STRUT. THE JETWAY WAS REPOSITIONED AND WE THEN INSPECTED THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE. THE L OUTBOARD NOSE COWL WAS DAMAGED BY WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE LOWER JETWAY LIGHT. WHAT COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE: 1) LIGHT TO RAMP AREA SO THAT EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY CAN BE SEEN. 2) USE MORE THAN 1 TAXI GUIDE. HAVE SOMEONE OR SOMETHING NEAR THE SPOT WHERE NOSEWHEELS ARE SUPPOSED TO STOP. 3) USE MORE PROACTIVE PERSONNEL. IF THE OTHER 3 GNDS PEOPLE SAW SOMETHING THAT WASN'T CORRECT, WHY DIDN'T THEY SAY OR DO ANYTHING? 4) POS THE JETWAY IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IF YOU TAXI TOO FAR FORWARD IT CAN BE READILY RECOGNIZED BY THE CREW.

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.

An air carrier B737 flight crew struck the jetway with the left engine cowling. The flight crew said that there was very little lighting in the area and the jetway was mispositioned.