A DC9 being guided off a gate struck a jetway incurring damage to the left wingtip and leading edge.

Attributes
ACN	413478
Time
Date	199809
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phe
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 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 : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 75
ASRS Report	413478
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far 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
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This letter is in regards to a situation that occurred in newport news, va, on sep/xa/98. This was the start of my second continuous duty overnight at an airport that I was totally unfamiliar with. On a normal daily basis, we usually power back the aircraft using the DC9's own engines. On this particular day, the marshaller waved us forward, however, never giving us the signal to stop and power back. Instead, the marshaller put his hands to his side and perhaps waited for the captain to start his turn away from the jetway. As we began to make the right turn it appeared to me that the captain knew what he was doing and the marshaller never gave any signals that we were in any kind of danger. When the marshaller disappeared from my sight in the turn, I began to look out my right window to make sure that my wing was clear. It was only a few seconds (2-3) later that the brakes and the impact of the jetway seem to happen simultaneously on the l-hand side of the aircraft. Finally, I do not believe that I could have done anything to avoid this situation. I had just finished my IOE and did not have any prior experience flying into this airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 BEING GUIDED OFF A GATE STRUCK A JETWAY INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE L WINGTIP AND LEADING EDGE.

Narrative: THIS LETTER IS IN REGARDS TO A SIT THAT OCCURRED IN NEWPORT NEWS, VA, ON SEP/XA/98. THIS WAS THE START OF MY SECOND CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT AT AN ARPT THAT I WAS TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR WITH. ON A NORMAL DAILY BASIS, WE USUALLY PWR BACK THE ACFT USING THE DC9'S OWN ENGS. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, THE MARSHALLER WAVED US FORWARD, HOWEVER, NEVER GIVING US THE SIGNAL TO STOP AND PWR BACK. INSTEAD, THE MARSHALLER PUT HIS HANDS TO HIS SIDE AND PERHAPS WAITED FOR THE CAPT TO START HIS TURN AWAY FROM THE JETWAY. AS WE BEGAN TO MAKE THE R TURN IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THE CAPT KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING AND THE MARSHALLER NEVER GAVE ANY SIGNALS THAT WE WERE IN ANY KIND OF DANGER. WHEN THE MARSHALLER DISAPPEARED FROM MY SIGHT IN THE TURN, I BEGAN TO LOOK OUT MY R WINDOW TO MAKE SURE THAT MY WING WAS CLR. IT WAS ONLY A FEW SECONDS (2-3) LATER THAT THE BRAKES AND THE IMPACT OF THE JETWAY SEEM TO HAPPEN SIMULTANEOUSLY ON THE L-HAND SIDE OF THE ACFT. FINALLY, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO AVOID THIS SIT. I HAD JUST FINISHED MY IOE AND DID NOT HAVE ANY PRIOR EXPERIENCE FLYING INTO THIS ARPT.

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.