Narrative:

I was the PIC of an aircraft (A320) on a flight from las to ZZZ on nov/thu/03. After landing in ZZZ at XA45 local, I was taxiing the aircraft to gate. I began to follow the marshaller's signals as the aircraft cleared taxiway and approached the ramp area. I continued to follow the marshaller's signals while I aligned the aircraft with the gate's centerline. The areas in front and to the sides of the aircraft were clear of any obstructions. There were wing walkers on both sides of the aircraft. As we approached the jetbridge, the first officer stated 'clear right' and I stated 'clear left.' I was taxiing at an extremely slow rate and my attention was solely on the marshaller leading us in as the aircraft past the jetbridge. I followed the instructions of the marshaller and brought the aircraft to a stop. Everything seemed normal until I was notified by our company mechanic that the #1 engine pylon had struck the jetbridge. No crew member, and to my knowledge no passenger, felt the impact. The company took pictures and then the jetbridge was moved and the passenger deplaned normally. The reason for the impact seems to have been confusion between the lead marshaller and the gate agents or jetbridge operator. The company I work for uses a different airline's gate in ZZZ. That airline does not have A320's, so we park at either the B737 position (aft) or the MD80/88, B727 position (forward). There seems to have been miscom between the marshaller requesting the jetbridge to be moved to the forward position by the gate agent and the jetbridge staying in the aft position prior to our arrival. The impact was caused by the marshaller leading the aircraft to the forward position while the jetbridge was in the aft position. It is not unusual for us to park in either the aft or forward position. While marshalling the aircraft in, the marshaller was watching us (the flight crew), instead of his wing walkers. I believe this was also a cause for the impact. The marshaller's company took full responsibility for the impact and are agreeing to pay for damages. I cannot see the wing/engine once we (the aircraft) pass the jetbridge by more than a few ft, so it would not help if I continue to scan to the left side of the aircraft. At that point in taxiing my attention has to be 100% on the lead marshaller. I believe the impact could have been avoided, if the marshaller and gate agent had better communication, if the marshaller would have had better awareness or if the marshaller's company would park our A320 aircraft in the same position (either forward or aft) all the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW HIT A JETWAY WHEN BEING PARKED AT A GATE NOT MARKED FOR PARKING OF THIS ACFT. THE CREW WAS UNDER CTL OF THE MARSHALLER, AND WING WALKERS.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC OF AN ACFT (A320) ON A FLT FROM LAS TO ZZZ ON NOV/THU/03. AFTER LNDG IN ZZZ AT XA45 LCL, I WAS TAXIING THE ACFT TO GATE. I BEGAN TO FOLLOW THE MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS AS THE ACFT CLRED TXWY AND APCHED THE RAMP AREA. I CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS WHILE I ALIGNED THE ACFT WITH THE GATE'S CTRLINE. THE AREAS IN FRONT AND TO THE SIDES OF THE ACFT WERE CLR OF ANY OBSTRUCTIONS. THERE WERE WING WALKERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT. AS WE APCHED THE JETBRIDGE, THE FO STATED 'CLR R' AND I STATED 'CLR L.' I WAS TAXIING AT AN EXTREMELY SLOW RATE AND MY ATTN WAS SOLELY ON THE MARSHALLER LEADING US IN AS THE ACFT PAST THE JETBRIDGE. I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE MARSHALLER AND BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP. EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL I WAS NOTIFIED BY OUR COMPANY MECH THAT THE #1 ENG PYLON HAD STRUCK THE JETBRIDGE. NO CREW MEMBER, AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE NO PAX, FELT THE IMPACT. THE COMPANY TOOK PICTURES AND THEN THE JETBRIDGE WAS MOVED AND THE PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY. THE REASON FOR THE IMPACT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CONFUSION BTWN THE LEAD MARSHALLER AND THE GATE AGENTS OR JETBRIDGE OPERATOR. THE COMPANY I WORK FOR USES A DIFFERENT AIRLINE'S GATE IN ZZZ. THAT AIRLINE DOES NOT HAVE A320'S, SO WE PARK AT EITHER THE B737 POS (AFT) OR THE MD80/88, B727 POS (FORWARD). THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MISCOM BTWN THE MARSHALLER REQUESTING THE JETBRIDGE TO BE MOVED TO THE FORWARD POS BY THE GATE AGENT AND THE JETBRIDGE STAYING IN THE AFT POS PRIOR TO OUR ARR. THE IMPACT WAS CAUSED BY THE MARSHALLER LEADING THE ACFT TO THE FORWARD POS WHILE THE JETBRIDGE WAS IN THE AFT POS. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR US TO PARK IN EITHER THE AFT OR FORWARD POS. WHILE MARSHALLING THE ACFT IN, THE MARSHALLER WAS WATCHING US (THE FLT CREW), INSTEAD OF HIS WING WALKERS. I BELIEVE THIS WAS ALSO A CAUSE FOR THE IMPACT. THE MARSHALLER'S COMPANY TOOK FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE IMPACT AND ARE AGREEING TO PAY FOR DAMAGES. I CANNOT SEE THE WING/ENG ONCE WE (THE ACFT) PASS THE JETBRIDGE BY MORE THAN A FEW FT, SO IT WOULD NOT HELP IF I CONTINUE TO SCAN TO THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. AT THAT POINT IN TAXIING MY ATTN HAS TO BE 100% ON THE LEAD MARSHALLER. I BELIEVE THE IMPACT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, IF THE MARSHALLER AND GATE AGENT HAD BETTER COM, IF THE MARSHALLER WOULD HAVE HAD BETTER AWARENESS OR IF THE MARSHALLER'S COMPANY WOULD PARK OUR A320 ACFT IN THE SAME POS (EITHER FORWARD OR AFT) ALL THE TIME.

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.