B737 captain reports ground air hose at two adjacent gates that impinge on the engine intake safety ...

Attributes
ACN	778542
Time
Date	200803
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 191 flight time type : 16000
ASRS Report	778542
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Airport
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

While being marshalled in to gate X at ZZZ; I noticed that the ground air hose and its carriage were within not only the safety zone but within the red zone for the #1 engine intake. I stopped the aircraft and communicated with the ramp. They were unable to move the aircraft hose and carriage out of the zone as it was engineered and installed without sufficient room to move it. The same conditions exist at an adjacent gate. There is insufficient space due to the jetway supports and the design of the carriage to have it out of the engine intake red zone. As we taxi now single engine with only the #1 engine running; this poses a threat of ingestion. No aircraft should be required to taxi and park with any piece of equipment within the engine intake ingestion red zone. Proper engineering completed; with a common sense installation. Somebody designed and engineered this with disregard to the suction capability of a cfm engine. Poor planning without operational oversight; I am afraid.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT REPORTS GROUND AIR HOSE AT TWO ADJACENT GATES THAT IMPINGE ON THE ENGINE INTAKE SAFETY ZONE AND CANNOT BE REMOVED DUE TO THEIR PERMANENT NATURE.

Narrative: WHILE BEING MARSHALLED IN TO GATE X AT ZZZ; I NOTICED THAT THE GND AIR HOSE AND ITS CARRIAGE WERE WITHIN NOT ONLY THE SAFETY ZONE BUT WITHIN THE RED ZONE FOR THE #1 ENG INTAKE. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND COMMUNICATED WITH THE RAMP. THEY WERE UNABLE TO MOVE THE ACFT HOSE AND CARRIAGE OUT OF THE ZONE AS IT WAS ENGINEERED AND INSTALLED WITHOUT SUFFICIENT ROOM TO MOVE IT. THE SAME CONDITIONS EXIST AT AN ADJACENT GATE. THERE IS INSUFFICIENT SPACE DUE TO THE JETWAY SUPPORTS AND THE DESIGN OF THE CARRIAGE TO HAVE IT OUT OF THE ENG INTAKE RED ZONE. AS WE TAXI NOW SINGLE ENG WITH ONLY THE #1 ENG RUNNING; THIS POSES A THREAT OF INGESTION. NO ACFT SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO TAXI AND PARK WITH ANY PIECE OF EQUIP WITHIN THE ENG INTAKE INGESTION RED ZONE. PROPER ENGINEERING COMPLETED; WITH A COMMON SENSE INSTALLATION. SOMEBODY DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED THIS WITH DISREGARD TO THE SUCTION CAPABILITY OF A CFM ENG. POOR PLANNING WITHOUT OPERATIONAL OVERSIGHT; I AM AFRAID.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

B737 captain reports ground air hose at two adjacent gates that impinge on the engine intake safety zone and cannot be removed due to their permanent nature.