Narrative:

After landing on runway 31R, we taxied in on taxiway B. Ramp control cleared us in to gate X, terminal Z, at entry TA. On centerline and abeam gate Y, I saw a wing walker coming out from area of gate X. I turned off the taxi light and saw the second wing walker straight ahead and then could see, off to my left, the guide man on a ladder aligned with the lead-in line for gate X. At the turn point, I turned left and checked to see both wing walkers in place with lighted wands and then aligned the aircraft with the lead-in line. Both sides of the aircraft were clear of obstructions. Nothing looked out of place. The guide man gave the come ahead signal, and I followed his adjustments left and right as I taxied forward toward the stop point. At this time, my focus was totally on the guide man and I could no longer see the wing walkers. The guide man gave me a normal stop signal. I stopped normally and shut down the aircraft. We conducted the parking checklist and then noticed the door had not yet been opened. The agent was apparently having trouble with the jetbridge because there was a substantial delay. I informed the passenger that there was a jetbridge problem, but that I could see ramp people working on it and suggested that it wouldn't be long before we could open the door. Finally, the bridge was moved in place and the door opened. As the passenger were deplaning, a station manager came aboard and told me we had damage to the aircraft caused by the airplane hitting the jetbridge. I told him we were surprised because we felt nothing and had gotten no indication of any problem from the guide man. I went down to the ramp to investigate and saw that indeed the top of the left engine nacelle had a very large dent. The shape of the damage was consistent with the shape of the rounded edge of the jetbridge. The aircraft was stopped dead-on on the stop line and on centerline of the lead-in line. From the fact that the aircraft was where it was supposed to be, it was obvious to me that the jetbridge had been out of its proper parking position in sufficient measure to obstruct the approach of the aircraft. At no time during the approach did I receive any indication from the wing walkers or guide man that a problem was developing and there was never a signal to stop. Supplemental information from acn 535711: ramp control acknowledged our aircraft in sight and reaffirmed clearance to gate X. Under the jetbridge, we observed dim lighting. Around the box designed to position the jetbridge tires, mud and a puddle of water obscured one corner of the markings. The aircraft nosewheel rested on top of the spot idented for the A300.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 PIC IS UNAWARE OF THE FACT THAT HIS L ENG IMPACTED UPON THE JETBRIDGE DURING HIS ARR AT THE GATE DURING A NIGHT OP AT JFK, NY.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 31R, WE TAXIED IN ON TXWY B. RAMP CTL CLRED US IN TO GATE X, TERMINAL Z, AT ENTRY TA. ON CTRLINE AND ABEAM GATE Y, I SAW A WING WALKER COMING OUT FROM AREA OF GATE X. I TURNED OFF THE TAXI LIGHT AND SAW THE SECOND WING WALKER STRAIGHT AHEAD AND THEN COULD SEE, OFF TO MY L, THE GUIDE MAN ON A LADDER ALIGNED WITH THE LEAD-IN LINE FOR GATE X. AT THE TURN POINT, I TURNED L AND CHKED TO SEE BOTH WING WALKERS IN PLACE WITH LIGHTED WANDS AND THEN ALIGNED THE ACFT WITH THE LEAD-IN LINE. BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT WERE CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS. NOTHING LOOKED OUT OF PLACE. THE GUIDE MAN GAVE THE COME AHEAD SIGNAL, AND I FOLLOWED HIS ADJUSTMENTS L AND R AS I TAXIED FORWARD TOWARD THE STOP POINT. AT THIS TIME, MY FOCUS WAS TOTALLY ON THE GUIDE MAN AND I COULD NO LONGER SEE THE WING WALKERS. THE GUIDE MAN GAVE ME A NORMAL STOP SIGNAL. I STOPPED NORMALLY AND SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. WE CONDUCTED THE PARKING CHKLIST AND THEN NOTICED THE DOOR HAD NOT YET BEEN OPENED. THE AGENT WAS APPARENTLY HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE JETBRIDGE BECAUSE THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL DELAY. I INFORMED THE PAX THAT THERE WAS A JETBRIDGE PROB, BUT THAT I COULD SEE RAMP PEOPLE WORKING ON IT AND SUGGESTED THAT IT WOULDN'T BE LONG BEFORE WE COULD OPEN THE DOOR. FINALLY, THE BRIDGE WAS MOVED IN PLACE AND THE DOOR OPENED. AS THE PAX WERE DEPLANING, A STATION MGR CAME ABOARD AND TOLD ME WE HAD DAMAGE TO THE ACFT CAUSED BY THE AIRPLANE HITTING THE JETBRIDGE. I TOLD HIM WE WERE SURPRISED BECAUSE WE FELT NOTHING AND HAD GOTTEN NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB FROM THE GUIDE MAN. I WENT DOWN TO THE RAMP TO INVESTIGATE AND SAW THAT INDEED THE TOP OF THE L ENG NACELLE HAD A VERY LARGE DENT. THE SHAPE OF THE DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE SHAPE OF THE ROUNDED EDGE OF THE JETBRIDGE. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED DEAD-ON ON THE STOP LINE AND ON CTRLINE OF THE LEAD-IN LINE. FROM THE FACT THAT THE ACFT WAS WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THE JETBRIDGE HAD BEEN OUT OF ITS PROPER PARKING POS IN SUFFICIENT MEASURE TO OBSTRUCT THE APCH OF THE ACFT. AT NO TIME DURING THE APCH DID I RECEIVE ANY INDICATION FROM THE WING WALKERS OR GUIDE MAN THAT A PROB WAS DEVELOPING AND THERE WAS NEVER A SIGNAL TO STOP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 535711: RAMP CTL ACKNOWLEDGED OUR ACFT IN SIGHT AND REAFFIRMED CLRNC TO GATE X. UNDER THE JETBRIDGE, WE OBSERVED DIM LIGHTING. AROUND THE BOX DESIGNED TO POS THE JETBRIDGE TIRES, MUD AND A PUDDLE OF WATER OBSCURED ONE CORNER OF THE MARKINGS. THE ACFT NOSEWHEEL RESTED ON TOP OF THE SPOT IDENTED FOR THE A300.

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.