Narrative:

The marshaller gave signals to taxi into the jetway gate area, which is normal procedure, but failed to clear the area between #1 engine and jetway, which was the point of collision. He gave the signal to stop, which was after the collision according to ramp supervisor who witnessed this incident, and then gave the move ahead signal again. Not knowing of anything being wrong, I added a little power to move forward, the aircraft did not move, the marshaller gave his signal to stop, that's when I reduced power to idle, set parking brake, shut-down the engines, and with cockpit crew performed the parking checklist. It wasn't until half of the passengers had deplaned via mobile stairs, that a gate agent came up into the aircraft and informed me that we had collided with jetway. A collision was never felt by anybody on the crew, however, several passengers sitting on the left side of the aircraft said they saw the collision but no details could be obtained. My only recommendations to prevent further occurrences like this in the future would be to insure that ground personnel assigned the tasks as marshallers are responsible enough for that job, and supervised more closely if they are new at it, until there's no doubt in anybody's mind they are fit to do the job by themselves. This individual marshalling us into gate obviously didn't know what he was doing. In this particular type of aircraft the pilot can not see anything inside the outboard leading edge of either wing without opening cockpit window and leaning out, which is neither a practical nor normal procedure. We rely totally on marshalling instructions at most gates we go into and unless we get people who are properly trained and motivated as marshallers I see no way of avoiding another such occurrence unless we stop short of the gate limit line and are towed in. Callback conversation with reporter had revealed the following information: ramp supervisor saw the incident coming and tried to get marshallers attention to stop aircraft but engine noise was to great. The marshaller was a new employee and probably had minimum training. He was immediately suspended and given a drug test. Reporter felt the company had probably given the minimum of training to the marshaller. Stated chief pilot had advised flight crew they were not at fault.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ENGINE NACELLE STRUCK JET BRIDGE DURING PARKING.

Narrative: THE MARSHALLER GAVE SIGNALS TO TAXI INTO THE JETWAY GATE AREA, WHICH IS NORMAL PROCEDURE, BUT FAILED TO CLEAR THE AREA BETWEEN #1 ENGINE AND JETWAY, WHICH WAS THE POINT OF COLLISION. HE GAVE THE SIGNAL TO STOP, WHICH WAS AFTER THE COLLISION ACCORDING TO RAMP SUPERVISOR WHO WITNESSED THIS INCIDENT, AND THEN GAVE THE MOVE AHEAD SIGNAL AGAIN. NOT KNOWING OF ANYTHING BEING WRONG, I ADDED A LITTLE POWER TO MOVE FORWARD, THE ACFT DID NOT MOVE, THE MARSHALLER GAVE HIS SIGNAL TO STOP, THAT'S WHEN I REDUCED POWER TO IDLE, SET PARKING BRAKE, SHUT-DOWN THE ENGINES, AND WITH COCKPIT CREW PERFORMED THE PARKING CHECKLIST. IT WASN'T UNTIL HALF OF THE PASSENGERS HAD DEPLANED VIA MOBILE STAIRS, THAT A GATE AGENT CAME UP INTO THE ACFT AND INFORMED ME THAT WE HAD COLLIDED WITH JETWAY. A COLLISION WAS NEVER FELT BY ANYBODY ON THE CREW, HOWEVER, SEVERAL PASSENGERS SITTING ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT SAID THEY SAW THE COLLISION BUT NO DETAILS COULD BE OBTAINED. MY ONLY RECOMMENDATIONS TO PREVENT FURTHER OCCURRENCES LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE TO INSURE THAT GND PERSONNEL ASSIGNED THE TASKS AS MARSHALLERS ARE RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH FOR THAT JOB, AND SUPERVISED MORE CLOSELY IF THEY ARE NEW AT IT, UNTIL THERE'S NO DOUBT IN ANYBODY'S MIND THEY ARE FIT TO DO THE JOB BY THEMSELVES. THIS INDIVIDUAL MARSHALLING US INTO GATE OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING. IN THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF ACFT THE PLT CAN NOT SEE ANYTHING INSIDE THE OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE OF EITHER WING WITHOUT OPENING COCKPIT WINDOW AND LEANING OUT, WHICH IS NEITHER A PRACTICAL NOR NORMAL PROCEDURE. WE RELY TOTALLY ON MARSHALLING INSTRUCTIONS AT MOST GATES WE GO INTO AND UNLESS WE GET PEOPLE WHO ARE PROPERLY TRAINED AND MOTIVATED AS MARSHALLERS I SEE NO WAY OF AVOIDING ANOTHER SUCH OCCURRENCE UNLESS WE STOP SHORT OF THE GATE LIMIT LINE AND ARE TOWED IN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER HAD REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: RAMP SUPERVISOR SAW THE INCIDENT COMING AND TRIED TO GET MARSHALLERS ATTN TO STOP ACFT BUT ENGINE NOISE WAS TO GREAT. THE MARSHALLER WAS A NEW EMPLOYEE AND PROBABLY HAD MINIMUM TRAINING. HE WAS IMMEDIATELY SUSPENDED AND GIVEN A DRUG TEST. REPORTER FELT THE COMPANY HAD PROBABLY GIVEN THE MINIMUM OF TRAINING TO THE MARSHALLER. STATED CHIEF PLT HAD ADVISED FLT CREW THEY WERE NOT AT FAULT.

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