Narrative:

During the approach to the gate; ramp advised that the ground crew to park the aircraft would arrive in 10-15 mins to park the aircraft. Ramp cleared us to wait on the lead-in line until the crew arrived. Captain turned air carrier X on to the lead-in line leaving more than a full B737 distance between nose and stop line next to the jetbridge. A ground crewman approached the tractor as the aircraft came to a stop; picked up wands from the tractor; signaled that the ramp was clear and proceeded to guide aircraft to parking spot. First officer and captain visually cleared their respective side of the parking area and noted no obstructions; the area looked clear/normal and ground equipment was behind 'foul lines' from what we could see from the cockpit. As the guide man signaled for the captain to slowly apply the brakes; the cockpit crew felt a 'thump' followed by some airframe vibration. The APU was online running electrical and AC; the captain directed that we shut down the left engine. (The right was secured prior to turning onto the lead-in line.) the captain said he thought something must have happened to the left engine; there were no abnormal instrument indications in the cockpit. The captain called for the parking checklist which the crew completed. The flight attendant called from the back and informed the captain that the yellow hose had been sucked into the left engine as the aircraft came to a stop. As per procedure; the ground crew signaled he had control of the aircraft; he had full responsibility for ground clearance and avoidance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE BEING MARSHALED INTO THE GATE A B737-800 INGESTS A GND AIR CONDITIONING HOSE INTO THE RUNNING L ENG.

Narrative: DURING THE APCH TO THE GATE; RAMP ADVISED THAT THE GND CREW TO PARK THE ACFT WOULD ARRIVE IN 10-15 MINS TO PARK THE ACFT. RAMP CLRED US TO WAIT ON THE LEAD-IN LINE UNTIL THE CREW ARRIVED. CAPT TURNED ACR X ON TO THE LEAD-IN LINE LEAVING MORE THAN A FULL B737 DISTANCE BTWN NOSE AND STOP LINE NEXT TO THE JETBRIDGE. A GND CREWMAN APCHED THE TRACTOR AS THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP; PICKED UP WANDS FROM THE TRACTOR; SIGNALED THAT THE RAMP WAS CLR AND PROCEEDED TO GUIDE ACFT TO PARKING SPOT. FO AND CAPT VISUALLY CLRED THEIR RESPECTIVE SIDE OF THE PARKING AREA AND NOTED NO OBSTRUCTIONS; THE AREA LOOKED CLR/NORMAL AND GND EQUIP WAS BEHIND 'FOUL LINES' FROM WHAT WE COULD SEE FROM THE COCKPIT. AS THE GUIDE MAN SIGNALED FOR THE CAPT TO SLOWLY APPLY THE BRAKES; THE COCKPIT CREW FELT A 'THUMP' FOLLOWED BY SOME AIRFRAME VIBRATION. THE APU WAS ONLINE RUNNING ELECTRICAL AND AC; THE CAPT DIRECTED THAT WE SHUT DOWN THE L ENG. (THE R WAS SECURED PRIOR TO TURNING ONTO THE LEAD-IN LINE.) THE CAPT SAID HE THOUGHT SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED TO THE L ENG; THERE WERE NO ABNORMAL INST INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE PARKING CHKLIST WHICH THE CREW COMPLETED. THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED FROM THE BACK AND INFORMED THE CAPT THAT THE YELLOW HOSE HAD BEEN SUCKED INTO THE L ENG AS THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP. AS PER PROC; THE GND CREW SIGNALED HE HAD CTL OF THE ACFT; HE HAD FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR GND CLRNC AND AVOIDANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.