Narrative:

Taxiing into gate in denver, I noticed the jetway seemed closer to the aircraft than normal and it also seemed extended farther out. The farther forward we went, the more uncomfortable I became. I made a head or hand signal (I don't remember which) to the guide man that the jetway was too close. He pointed his right wand at the clearance area and pointed it up indicating it was clear and kept marshalling me forward. I didn't like the clearance and when the jetway went past the normal spot, I couldn't keep going. I stopped the aircraft and set the brakes. He continued 'move forward' signals at me, but he wasn't looking over at the engine area and I am blind to its location. At that point, I disobeyed the marshaler and stayed put. He did not 'have an attitude,' it just seemed to me that things weren't as they should be and in my judgement, the guide man lacked situational awareness. After we parked, I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't see him. The jetway driver told me we came within 8 inches of hitting the engine on the jetway. The side clearance, when I decided I could not continue, was between 8-12 inches. That was not the sole reason I stopped. Places like new orleans require the jetway to be that close to the aircraft and we become tolerant of it. Probably not a good thing! In the pilot world, not all people learning to fly can qualify. Not everyone can develop the airmanship/judgement it takes to take on multiple tasks at once. I can tell you that not everyone can be trained to an acceptable level for marshalling airplanes. It is the intangibles that get them. When everything is as it should be, they are fine. When things deviate from the norm is when they get in trouble. We can ill afford any ground handling accidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CREW WAS ALMOST MARSHALED INTO A JETWAY WHEN PARKING AT THE GATE.

Narrative: TAXIING INTO GATE IN DENVER, I NOTICED THE JETWAY SEEMED CLOSER TO THE ACFT THAN NORMAL AND IT ALSO SEEMED EXTENDED FARTHER OUT. THE FARTHER FORWARD WE WENT, THE MORE UNCOMFORTABLE I BECAME. I MADE A HEAD OR HAND SIGNAL (I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH) TO THE GUIDE MAN THAT THE JETWAY WAS TOO CLOSE. HE POINTED HIS R WAND AT THE CLRNC AREA AND POINTED IT UP INDICATING IT WAS CLR AND KEPT MARSHALLING ME FORWARD. I DIDN'T LIKE THE CLRNC AND WHEN THE JETWAY WENT PAST THE NORMAL SPOT, I COULDN'T KEEP GOING. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND SET THE BRAKES. HE CONTINUED 'MOVE FORWARD' SIGNALS AT ME, BUT HE WASN'T LOOKING OVER AT THE ENG AREA AND I AM BLIND TO ITS LOCATION. AT THAT POINT, I DISOBEYED THE MARSHALER AND STAYED PUT. HE DID NOT 'HAVE AN ATTITUDE,' IT JUST SEEMED TO ME THAT THINGS WEREN'T AS THEY SHOULD BE AND IN MY JUDGEMENT, THE GUIDE MAN LACKED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. AFTER WE PARKED, I WANTED TO TALK TO HIM, BUT I DIDN'T SEE HIM. THE JETWAY DRIVER TOLD ME WE CAME WITHIN 8 INCHES OF HITTING THE ENG ON THE JETWAY. THE SIDE CLRNC, WHEN I DECIDED I COULD NOT CONTINUE, WAS BTWN 8-12 INCHES. THAT WAS NOT THE SOLE REASON I STOPPED. PLACES LIKE NEW ORLEANS REQUIRE THE JETWAY TO BE THAT CLOSE TO THE ACFT AND WE BECOME TOLERANT OF IT. PROBABLY NOT A GOOD THING! IN THE PLT WORLD, NOT ALL PEOPLE LEARNING TO FLY CAN QUALIFY. NOT EVERYONE CAN DEVELOP THE AIRMANSHIP/JUDGEMENT IT TAKES TO TAKE ON MULTIPLE TASKS AT ONCE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT NOT EVERYONE CAN BE TRAINED TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL FOR MARSHALLING AIRPLANES. IT IS THE INTANGIBLES THAT GET THEM. WHEN EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE, THEY ARE FINE. WHEN THINGS DEVIATE FROM THE NORM IS WHEN THEY GET IN TROUBLE. WE CAN ILL AFFORD ANY GND HANDLING ACCIDENTS.

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.