Narrative:

Taxiing in to the gate area at ric, the marshaller signaled us in to a point where the aircraft's left engine struck the forward corner of the jetway bridge. It was dark (XY00) and the left engine and jetbridge are not visible from the cockpit window at any time due to the line of sight and curvature of the aircraft fuselage. This is why we use and rely almost entirely on the use of wing walkers and a lead marshaller. The marshaller apparently was used to parking MD80's and pulled us up to where an MD80 would park, thus causing us to be too far forward. We then hit the jetbridge with the left engine. The left wing walker, I found out later, had no idea what her purpose for being there was. She simply was not watching the parking progress of the aircraft and therefore paid no attention to the fact that the left engine was about to hit something. The lead marshaller also was lacking in situational awareness and did not see the left engine as he should have as it approached the jetbridge. In fact he had no idea that an aircraft accident had occurred until well after the left engine struck the jetbridge and even then I had to point it out to him. I depended on these people to see the things I could not see. What I had was total apathy on the part of our ground crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 TAXIES INTO A JETWAY DURING A NIGHT PARKING PROC AT RIC, VA.

Narrative: TAXIING IN TO THE GATE AREA AT RIC, THE MARSHALLER SIGNALED US IN TO A POINT WHERE THE ACFT'S L ENG STRUCK THE FORWARD CORNER OF THE JETWAY BRIDGE. IT WAS DARK (XY00) AND THE L ENG AND JETBRIDGE ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT WINDOW AT ANY TIME DUE TO THE LINE OF SIGHT AND CURVATURE OF THE ACFT FUSELAGE. THIS IS WHY WE USE AND RELY ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE USE OF WING WALKERS AND A LEAD MARSHALLER. THE MARSHALLER APPARENTLY WAS USED TO PARKING MD80'S AND PULLED US UP TO WHERE AN MD80 WOULD PARK, THUS CAUSING US TO BE TOO FAR FORWARD. WE THEN HIT THE JETBRIDGE WITH THE L ENG. THE L WING WALKER, I FOUND OUT LATER, HAD NO IDEA WHAT HER PURPOSE FOR BEING THERE WAS. SHE SIMPLY WAS NOT WATCHING THE PARKING PROGRESS OF THE ACFT AND THEREFORE PAID NO ATTN TO THE FACT THAT THE L ENG WAS ABOUT TO HIT SOMETHING. THE LEAD MARSHALLER ALSO WAS LACKING IN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND DID NOT SEE THE L ENG AS HE SHOULD HAVE AS IT APCHED THE JETBRIDGE. IN FACT HE HAD NO IDEA THAT AN ACFT ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED UNTIL WELL AFTER THE L ENG STRUCK THE JETBRIDGE AND EVEN THEN I HAD TO POINT IT OUT TO HIM. I DEPENDED ON THESE PEOPLE TO SEE THE THINGS I COULD NOT SEE. WHAT I HAD WAS TOTAL APATHY ON THE PART OF OUR GND 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.