Narrative:

Ramp was covered with a mix of water and slushy snow. In order to get de-iced prior to takeoff, we had to taxi to a gate we don't ordinarily use. After being de-iced, we restarted the engines and started to taxi out. The jetway had not been pulled up to the aircraft during the de-icing. A marshaller and a wing walker on the jetway side of the aircraft (left side) signaled me to move forward and turn. It was to be a tight turn during which the relative motion of the aircraft was small, but the relative motion of the left wing was large. I was looking out the left side of the aircraft at the wing tip and the wing walker. Due to the geometry of the turn, it was very difficult to be able to predict the path of the wingtip during the turn from the cockpit. I was forced to rely on the wing walker to see any conflict. During the turn, the wingwalker signaled to stop and I hit the brakes. As the aircraft stopped I noticed the jetway moving. Apparently attempting to retract further toward the terminal. The jetway wheel, however, was pointed in such a way that it actually moved toward the wings at it moved back. As the aircraft stopped, the wing leading edge and the jetway contacted. The jetway continued to scrape along the front edge of the wing after the aircraft had stopped until it finally cleared the wingtip. The wing leading edge had a scrape along it about 10-12 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, and there was a small 1 1/2 inch hole in the fiberglass wingtip fairing. There were a large number of factors that influenced the outcome of this incident. The reduced visibility due to the blowing snow, the slushy ramp, the high winds, the fact that this gate usually svced another company's medium large transport aircraft with different dimensions, the fact that the jetway was not fully retracted, that the jetway wheel was turned so that in retracting, it moved toward the wing, that the jetway operator even attempted to move the jetway, that the wingwalker had never marshalled an aircraft out of that gate before, and that the relative motion of the wing was so great being on the outside of the turn all influenced the outcome of this incident. Recommendations: that jetways of taxi out gates always be fully retracted when not in use. That anyone marshalling an aircraft be fully checked out on the gate being used. That in slushy, reduced visibility situations pushback equipment be used (tugs were not available at this station). Everyone involved attempted to do their best in this situation, but unfortunately, their actions resulted in worsening the circumstances.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG MOVING FROM DE-ICING GATE WITH MARSHALLER COLLIDES WITH JETWAY BEING MOVED TO AVOID SUCH A PROBLEM.

Narrative: RAMP WAS COVERED WITH A MIX OF WATER AND SLUSHY SNOW. IN ORDER TO GET DE-ICED PRIOR TO TKOF, WE HAD TO TAXI TO A GATE WE DON'T ORDINARILY USE. AFTER BEING DE-ICED, WE RESTARTED THE ENGS AND STARTED TO TAXI OUT. THE JETWAY HAD NOT BEEN PULLED UP TO THE ACFT DURING THE DE-ICING. A MARSHALLER AND A WING WALKER ON THE JETWAY SIDE OF THE ACFT (L SIDE) SIGNALED ME TO MOVE FORWARD AND TURN. IT WAS TO BE A TIGHT TURN DURING WHICH THE RELATIVE MOTION OF THE ACFT WAS SMALL, BUT THE RELATIVE MOTION OF THE L WING WAS LARGE. I WAS LOOKING OUT THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AT THE WING TIP AND THE WING WALKER. DUE TO THE GEOMETRY OF THE TURN, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO PREDICT THE PATH OF THE WINGTIP DURING THE TURN FROM THE COCKPIT. I WAS FORCED TO RELY ON THE WING WALKER TO SEE ANY CONFLICT. DURING THE TURN, THE WINGWALKER SIGNALED TO STOP AND I HIT THE BRAKES. AS THE ACFT STOPPED I NOTICED THE JETWAY MOVING. APPARENTLY ATTEMPTING TO RETRACT FURTHER TOWARD THE TERMINAL. THE JETWAY WHEEL, HOWEVER, WAS POINTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT ACTUALLY MOVED TOWARD THE WINGS AT IT MOVED BACK. AS THE ACFT STOPPED, THE WING LEADING EDGE AND THE JETWAY CONTACTED. THE JETWAY CONTINUED TO SCRAPE ALONG THE FRONT EDGE OF THE WING AFTER THE ACFT HAD STOPPED UNTIL IT FINALLY CLRED THE WINGTIP. THE WING LEADING EDGE HAD A SCRAPE ALONG IT ABOUT 10-12 INCHES LONG AND 1/2 INCH WIDE, AND THERE WAS A SMALL 1 1/2 INCH HOLE IN THE FIBERGLASS WINGTIP FAIRING. THERE WERE A LARGE NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED THE OUTCOME OF THIS INCIDENT. THE REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO THE BLOWING SNOW, THE SLUSHY RAMP, THE HIGH WINDS, THE FACT THAT THIS GATE USUALLY SVCED ANOTHER COMPANY'S MLG ACFT WITH DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS, THE FACT THAT THE JETWAY WAS NOT FULLY RETRACTED, THAT THE JETWAY WHEEL WAS TURNED SO THAT IN RETRACTING, IT MOVED TOWARD THE WING, THAT THE JETWAY OPERATOR EVEN ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE JETWAY, THAT THE WINGWALKER HAD NEVER MARSHALLED AN ACFT OUT OF THAT GATE BEFORE, AND THAT THE RELATIVE MOTION OF THE WING WAS SO GREAT BEING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TURN ALL INFLUENCED THE OUTCOME OF THIS INCIDENT. RECOMMENDATIONS: THAT JETWAYS OF TAXI OUT GATES ALWAYS BE FULLY RETRACTED WHEN NOT IN USE. THAT ANYONE MARSHALLING AN ACFT BE FULLY CHKED OUT ON THE GATE BEING USED. THAT IN SLUSHY, REDUCED VISIBILITY SITUATIONS PUSHBACK EQUIP BE USED (TUGS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS STATION). EVERYONE INVOLVED ATTEMPTED TO DO THEIR BEST IN THIS SITUATION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THEIR ACTIONS RESULTED IN WORSENING THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.