Narrative:

Gate at ZZZ ground air hose carriage design is poorly done and installed in such a manner that when the jetway is in its normal position awaiting aircraft arrival; the hose and carriage are protruding into the #1 engine red ingestion zone. Marshalers assume that because it is attached to the jetway; that it is ok to be in the red zone and routinely marshal aircraft with only the #1 engine running into the safety zone with the hose and carriage in the red ingestion zone. Accident looking for a time to happen. Gate at ZZZ1 is a non-movable jetway and the installation of the ground air hose and carriage is permanently installed within the #1 engine red ingestion zone. Violates all common sense and SOP for parking a jet aircraft; particularly with only the #1 engine running. Redesign and move the ground air hose and carriage out of the red ingestion zone or quit using the gate.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicated that many of these units have been recently installed; ignoring the red ingestion zone. Some of the affected jetways are fixed; and some of them are moveable. The moveable jetways become a problem as the jetway operators often move the jetway fwd as the aircraft is taxiing into the gate area. Company policy is to shut down the #2 engine for fuel conservation and proceed to parking with the #1 engine running until external power is connected. This often requires that a moderate amount of thrust be applied at higher aircraft gross weights or when approaching on an uphill grade. This obviously increases the likelihood of ingesting anything within the 'red zone.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT RPTS THAT NUMEROUS GATES INCORPORATE A GND AIR HOSE ASSEMBLY WHICH PROTRUDES INTO THE ENG INGESTION ZONE.

Narrative: GATE AT ZZZ GND AIR HOSE CARRIAGE DESIGN IS POORLY DONE AND INSTALLED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT WHEN THE JETWAY IS IN ITS NORMAL POSITION AWAITING ACFT ARR; THE HOSE AND CARRIAGE ARE PROTRUDING INTO THE #1 ENGINE RED INGESTION ZONE. MARSHALERS ASSUME THAT BECAUSE IT IS ATTACHED TO THE JETWAY; THAT IT IS OK TO BE IN THE RED ZONE AND ROUTINELY MARSHAL ACFT WITH ONLY THE #1 ENGINE RUNNING INTO THE SAFETY ZONE WITH THE HOSE AND CARRIAGE IN THE RED INGESTION ZONE. ACCIDENT LOOKING FOR A TIME TO HAPPEN. GATE AT ZZZ1 IS A NON-MOVABLE JETWAY AND THE INSTALLATION OF THE GND AIR HOSE AND CARRIAGE IS PERMANENTLY INSTALLED WITHIN THE #1 ENGINE RED INGESTION ZONE. VIOLATES ALL COMMON SENSE AND SOP FOR PARKING A JET ACFT; PARTICULARLY WITH ONLY THE #1 ENGINE RUNNING. REDESIGN AND MOVE THE GND AIR HOSE AND CARRIAGE OUT OF THE RED INGESTION ZONE OR QUIT USING THE GATE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED THAT MANY OF THESE UNITS HAVE BEEN RECENTLY INSTALLED; IGNORING THE RED INGESTION ZONE. SOME OF THE AFFECTED JETWAYS ARE FIXED; AND SOME OF THEM ARE MOVEABLE. THE MOVEABLE JETWAYS BECOME A PROBLEM AS THE JETWAY OPERATORS OFTEN MOVE THE JETWAY FWD AS THE ACFT IS TAXIING INTO THE GATE AREA. COMPANY POLICY IS TO SHUT DOWN THE #2 ENG FOR FUEL CONSERVATION AND PROCEED TO PARKING WITH THE #1 ENG RUNNING UNTIL EXTERNAL POWER IS CONNECTED. THIS OFTEN REQUIRES THAT A MODERATE AMOUNT OF THRUST BE APPLIED AT HIGHER ACFT GROSS WEIGHTS OR WHEN APPROACHING ON AN UPHILL GRADE. THIS OBVIOUSLY INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF INGESTING ANYTHING WITHIN THE 'RED ZONE.'

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.