Narrative:

We had a close call while parking at gate X, narrowly avoiding injury to ramp personnel and possible damage to the aircraft and or ground equipment. No injury or damage did occur, but I am filing this report to assist in training of aircraft receipt and dispatch. Taxied into gate with right engine spooling down (start lever in cutoff position). Marshaller used SOP techniques to lead us in and we stopped at the gate per his normal hand signals. There was an first officer on the ramp awaiting the next walkaround. While parked with the brake set, waiting for the jetway to approach (left engine still running), the gate agent in the jetway made a hand gesture to me that we were about 3 ft short of the desired stop position, and that she would not be able to position the jetway to the aircraft properly. The marshaller came back into my view and signaled for us to move further forward. During the forward movement he realized that a belt loader had already driven in front of the right engine so he gave us an abrupt stop signal. (On the B737-500 the belt loader is normally quite close to the engine.) no contact occurred, but the first officer outside later told me that 'we almost nailed that guy on the belt loader.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-500. THE MARSHALLER REDIRECTED THE STOPPING POINT, AFTER A BELT LOADER WAS STOPPED IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. THE BELT LOADER EMPLOYEE WAS ALMOST INJURED AS A RESULT.

Narrative: WE HAD A CLOSE CALL WHILE PARKING AT GATE X, NARROWLY AVOIDING INJURY TO RAMP PERSONNEL AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND OR GND EQUIP. NO INJURY OR DAMAGE DID OCCUR, BUT I AM FILING THIS RPT TO ASSIST IN TRAINING OF ACFT RECEIPT AND DISPATCH. TAXIED INTO GATE WITH R ENG SPOOLING DOWN (START LEVER IN CUTOFF POS). MARSHALLER USED SOP TECHNIQUES TO LEAD US IN AND WE STOPPED AT THE GATE PER HIS NORMAL HAND SIGNALS. THERE WAS AN FO ON THE RAMP AWAITING THE NEXT WALKAROUND. WHILE PARKED WITH THE BRAKE SET, WAITING FOR THE JETWAY TO APCH (L ENG STILL RUNNING), THE GATE AGENT IN THE JETWAY MADE A HAND GESTURE TO ME THAT WE WERE ABOUT 3 FT SHORT OF THE DESIRED STOP POS, AND THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO POS THE JETWAY TO THE ACFT PROPERLY. THE MARSHALLER CAME BACK INTO MY VIEW AND SIGNALED FOR US TO MOVE FURTHER FORWARD. DURING THE FORWARD MOVEMENT HE REALIZED THAT A BELT LOADER HAD ALREADY DRIVEN IN FRONT OF THE R ENG SO HE GAVE US AN ABRUPT STOP SIGNAL. (ON THE B737-500 THE BELT LOADER IS NORMALLY QUITE CLOSE TO THE ENG.) NO CONTACT OCCURRED, BUT THE FO OUTSIDE LATER TOLD ME THAT 'WE ALMOST NAILED THAT GUY ON THE BELT LOADER.'

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.