A B737-300 strikes its left engine cowl against a jetway when parking at the gate in aus, tx.

Attributes
ACN	536154
Time
Date	200201
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aus.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3600
ASRS Report	536154
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12200 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	536155
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters other non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : marsh gnd 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We had just landed and were holding short to allow company traffic to exit the alley way at aus. We shut down #2 engine. Once company clearance, proceeded to gate. We had a lead marshaller and wing walkers. Area appeared clear on both sides with jetway shoved back laterally 12-15 ft. As I came down the line straight with #1 engine at idle and walking speed, I approached the mark, the marshaller raised his arms normally and just as he crossed his wands I stopped the aircraft -- but just before, I felt like the aircraft hit a concrete expansion crack. I noticed that the marshaller at that time was very agitated -- not at me, but at himself. The jetway operator was frantically waving at him also. He then plugged in and said we had to push back and pull forward to free the jetway. Passenger were reseated and maneuver completed. Parking checklist completed. #1 engine cowl had struck the lowest point of the jet at the 1 O'clock position resulting in 2 3 inch by 4 inch holes in cowl. We were originally scheduled to do a msy turn but were redispatched to aus for passenger/seats (MD80 to msy instead). This may have contributed since aus had just pushed out a B757 out of gate in the morning and left jetway there thinking MD80 was inbound. I thought with 12-15 ft lateral jetway pushback was sufficient, but I had no idea where the B737 mark was. The marshaller put me exactly on the mark but the jetway was too far aft (B757 position). Once I was well established on line with sides clear, I fixated on marshaller and I may have lost track how far forward he was taking me (situational awareness). Recommend all jetways retracted to a complete stow position regardless of aircraft or change of aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 536155: 4 or 5 ramp agents watching and waiting to download. Flight attendants came to cockpit or called on interphone. Said we hit jetway. It had been left at the B757 position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 STRIKES ITS L ENG COWL AGAINST A JETWAY WHEN PARKING AT THE GATE IN AUS, TX.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST LANDED AND WERE HOLDING SHORT TO ALLOW COMPANY TFC TO EXIT THE ALLEY WAY AT AUS. WE SHUT DOWN #2 ENG. ONCE COMPANY CLRNC, PROCEEDED TO GATE. WE HAD A LEAD MARSHALLER AND WING WALKERS. AREA APPEARED CLR ON BOTH SIDES WITH JETWAY SHOVED BACK LATERALLY 12-15 FT. AS I CAME DOWN THE LINE STRAIGHT WITH #1 ENG AT IDLE AND WALKING SPD, I APCHED THE MARK, THE MARSHALLER RAISED HIS ARMS NORMALLY AND JUST AS HE CROSSED HIS WANDS I STOPPED THE ACFT -- BUT JUST BEFORE, I FELT LIKE THE ACFT HIT A CONCRETE EXPANSION CRACK. I NOTICED THAT THE MARSHALLER AT THAT TIME WAS VERY AGITATED -- NOT AT ME, BUT AT HIMSELF. THE JETWAY OPERATOR WAS FRANTICALLY WAVING AT HIM ALSO. HE THEN PLUGGED IN AND SAID WE HAD TO PUSH BACK AND PULL FORWARD TO FREE THE JETWAY. PAX WERE RESEATED AND MANEUVER COMPLETED. PARKING CHKLIST COMPLETED. #1 ENG COWL HAD STRUCK THE LOWEST POINT OF THE JET AT THE 1 O'CLOCK POS RESULTING IN 2 3 INCH BY 4 INCH HOLES IN COWL. WE WERE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO DO A MSY TURN BUT WERE REDISPATCHED TO AUS FOR PAX/SEATS (MD80 TO MSY INSTEAD). THIS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED SINCE AUS HAD JUST PUSHED OUT A B757 OUT OF GATE IN THE MORNING AND LEFT JETWAY THERE THINKING MD80 WAS INBOUND. I THOUGHT WITH 12-15 FT LATERAL JETWAY PUSHBACK WAS SUFFICIENT, BUT I HAD NO IDEA WHERE THE B737 MARK WAS. THE MARSHALLER PUT ME EXACTLY ON THE MARK BUT THE JETWAY WAS TOO FAR AFT (B757 POS). ONCE I WAS WELL ESTABLISHED ON LINE WITH SIDES CLR, I FIXATED ON MARSHALLER AND I MAY HAVE LOST TRACK HOW FAR FORWARD HE WAS TAKING ME (SITUATIONAL AWARENESS). RECOMMEND ALL JETWAYS RETRACTED TO A COMPLETE STOW POS REGARDLESS OF ACFT OR CHANGE OF ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 536155: 4 OR 5 RAMP AGENTS WATCHING AND WAITING TO DOWNLOAD. FLT ATTENDANTS CAME TO COCKPIT OR CALLED ON INTERPHONE. SAID WE HIT JETWAY. IT HAD BEEN LEFT AT THE B757 POS.

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.