Narrative:

Pulling into gate in syr. I had to steer around some bag carts to my left. We had a wing walker (ww) and marshaller to our front. As I passed the carts with the ww giving a thumbs up we passed the jetway about 4 ft lateral. I no longer could see the ww as the jetway passed my window my attention went to the marshaller who was giving me the come ahead signal continuously. I was slowing down thinking the jet way was getting close to the wing. I glanced back while slowing the aircraft to see that the jetway was parked on the lines and then forward to see the marshaller waving me forward. Just as I started to brake, cause something just wasn't right, we felt a thud and I finished applying the brakes quickly. The marshaller was still flagging me forward with a confused look on his face, then stopped when he finally noticed something was wrong. It turned out I never hit the jetway. We missed by 1-3 inches all because the ww noticed the jetway was parked on the wrong lines and threw the chocks under the left main, that was the thump. Boy was I relieved! I went below and had a pow wow with everyone. The lines were identical and both looked of fresh paint. A can of black spray paint on the old lines would have eliminated the whole problem. I asked the marshaller where his head was and he said, 'on the nose wheel cause I trusted the lines.' if someone had just took off the old after painting the new this would not have happened.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ALMOST STRIKES JETWAY AS IT IS PARKED AT GATE.

Narrative: PULLING INTO GATE IN SYR. I HAD TO STEER AROUND SOME BAG CARTS TO MY L. WE HAD A WING WALKER (WW) AND MARSHALLER TO OUR FRONT. AS I PASSED THE CARTS WITH THE WW GIVING A THUMBS UP WE PASSED THE JETWAY ABOUT 4 FT LATERAL. I NO LONGER COULD SEE THE WW AS THE JETWAY PASSED MY WINDOW MY ATTN WENT TO THE MARSHALLER WHO WAS GIVING ME THE COME AHEAD SIGNAL CONTINUOUSLY. I WAS SLOWING DOWN THINKING THE JET WAY WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THE WING. I GLANCED BACK WHILE SLOWING THE ACFT TO SEE THAT THE JETWAY WAS PARKED ON THE LINES AND THEN FORWARD TO SEE THE MARSHALLER WAVING ME FORWARD. JUST AS I STARTED TO BRAKE, CAUSE SOMETHING JUST WASN'T RIGHT, WE FELT A THUD AND I FINISHED APPLYING THE BRAKES QUICKLY. THE MARSHALLER WAS STILL FLAGGING ME FORWARD WITH A CONFUSED LOOK ON HIS FACE, THEN STOPPED WHEN HE FINALLY NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. IT TURNED OUT I NEVER HIT THE JETWAY. WE MISSED BY 1-3 INCHES ALL BECAUSE THE WW NOTICED THE JETWAY WAS PARKED ON THE WRONG LINES AND THREW THE CHOCKS UNDER THE L MAIN, THAT WAS THE THUMP. BOY WAS I RELIEVED! I WENT BELOW AND HAD A POW WOW WITH EVERYONE. THE LINES WERE IDENTICAL AND BOTH LOOKED OF FRESH PAINT. A CAN OF BLACK SPRAY PAINT ON THE OLD LINES WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE WHOLE PROBLEM. I ASKED THE MARSHALLER WHERE HIS HEAD WAS AND HE SAID, 'ON THE NOSE WHEEL CAUSE I TRUSTED THE LINES.' IF SOMEONE HAD JUST TOOK OFF THE OLD AFTER PAINTING THE NEW THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

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.