Narrative:

Taxiing into gate, lga, PM40 may/xx/95, B-737-200. Single engine taxi with #2 engine shutdown. Being extra cautious due to close proximity to an aircraft parked in corner of ramp area adjacent to hangar, we were being marshalled into the gate by a mechanic using appropriate wands. When we were 6-8 ft from what would appear to me to be the normal parking spot for the gate, the mechanic stopped us using the crossed wand signal. An announcement was made on the PA by the first officer, that we were still short of the gate and directed the 39 passenger to remain seated. The mechanic appeared to be checking the position of the jet bridge. He motioned us forward then stopped us again, squatting down and appeared to me to be looking under the aircraft. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the 'fuel' prompt flashing on the ACARS panel. I commented to the first officer about the flight attendants opening the door too soon, then looked at the door annunciator and saw that the forward cargo door has been opened. This is not uncommon as we were told during the high ground days to shut down #2 engine so that ground personnel could go about their duties as soon as possible. I do not recollect seeing the master caution light illuminate. The mechanic then motioned us forward again. At this point the aircraft seemed to have reached an obstacle of some sort. It felt as if we had taxied up onto a lip in the ramp or had taxied onto a chock. The mechanic then gave me another stop signal, disappeared from my view, reappeared and gave me the cut engine signal. He then retrieved a tow bar, attached it to the aircraft and gave me a brakes off signal, moved the aircraft backward a few ft, then moved us forward to what appeared to be the proper gate position. The jet bridge was brought to the aircraft and the passenger deplaned. The mechanic then came into the flight deck and stated we had struck a belt loader with the #2 engine and had pinned its driver between the belt loader and the engine nacelle. He told us he had to move the aircraft back to free the driver of the belt loader. The underside of the nacelle was damaged. The ramp person who was driving the belt loader stated he was not injured and thought we were parked, even though the rotating beacon was still illuminated. The ramp person who opened the door said he had motioned the driver forward for the same reason. This incident could have been avoided if: ramp personnel adhered to their rules of not approaching an aircraft until the rotating beacon was extinguished, and if air carrier used the same procedures used by other airlines of having a marshaller to guide the crew in parking the aircraft and having wing walkers on each wing to assure clearance from all obstacles. Supplemental information from acn 305269: as we approached the gate the marshaller gave the captain the stop signal and he complied. As copilot, I checked the right side and saw nothing unusual. I then looked left to observe the loading bridge closer than normal, but being moved back. I switched my audio control panel and asked the passenger to remain seated until we were in proper position. During this brief stop the belt loader was positioned to the right side of the aircraft. As we subsequently taxied forward to the parking spot the right engine nacelle struck the belt loader. All personnel were subsequently drug and alcohol tested. This incident was precipitated by the jetway being improperly positioned, and aggravated by the belt loader being moved prematurely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BELT LOADER HIT BY B-737-200 DURING RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: TAXIING INTO GATE, LGA, PM40 MAY/XX/95, B-737-200. SINGLE ENG TAXI WITH #2 ENG SHUTDOWN. BEING EXTRA CAUTIOUS DUE TO CLOSE PROX TO AN ACFT PARKED IN CORNER OF RAMP AREA ADJACENT TO HANGAR, WE WERE BEING MARSHALLED INTO THE GATE BY A MECH USING APPROPRIATE WANDS. WHEN WE WERE 6-8 FT FROM WHAT WOULD APPEAR TO ME TO BE THE NORMAL PARKING SPOT FOR THE GATE, THE MECH STOPPED US USING THE CROSSED WAND SIGNAL. AN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE ON THE PA BY THE FO, THAT WE WERE STILL SHORT OF THE GATE AND DIRECTED THE 39 PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. THE MECH APPEARED TO BE CHKING THE POS OF THE JET BRIDGE. HE MOTIONED US FORWARD THEN STOPPED US AGAIN, SQUATTING DOWN AND APPEARED TO ME TO BE LOOKING UNDER THE ACFT. OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE, I NOTICED THE 'FUEL' PROMPT FLASHING ON THE ACARS PANEL. I COMMENTED TO THE FO ABOUT THE FLT ATTENDANTS OPENING THE DOOR TOO SOON, THEN LOOKED AT THE DOOR ANNUNCIATOR AND SAW THAT THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR HAS BEEN OPENED. THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON AS WE WERE TOLD DURING THE HIGH GND DAYS TO SHUT DOWN #2 ENG SO THAT GND PERSONNEL COULD GO ABOUT THEIR DUTIES ASAP. I DO NOT RECOLLECT SEEING THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATE. THE MECH THEN MOTIONED US FORWARD AGAIN. AT THIS POINT THE ACFT SEEMED TO HAVE REACHED AN OBSTACLE OF SOME SORT. IT FELT AS IF WE HAD TAXIED UP ONTO A LIP IN THE RAMP OR HAD TAXIED ONTO A CHOCK. THE MECH THEN GAVE ME ANOTHER STOP SIGNAL, DISAPPEARED FROM MY VIEW, REAPPEARED AND GAVE ME THE CUT ENG SIGNAL. HE THEN RETRIEVED A TOW BAR, ATTACHED IT TO THE ACFT AND GAVE ME A BRAKES OFF SIGNAL, MOVED THE ACFT BACKWARD A FEW FT, THEN MOVED US FORWARD TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE PROPER GATE POS. THE JET BRIDGE WAS BROUGHT TO THE ACFT AND THE PAX DEPLANED. THE MECH THEN CAME INTO THE FLT DECK AND STATED WE HAD STRUCK A BELT LOADER WITH THE #2 ENG AND HAD PINNED ITS DRIVER BTWN THE BELT LOADER AND THE ENG NACELLE. HE TOLD US HE HAD TO MOVE THE ACFT BACK TO FREE THE DRIVER OF THE BELT LOADER. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE NACELLE WAS DAMAGED. THE RAMP PERSON WHO WAS DRIVING THE BELT LOADER STATED HE WAS NOT INJURED AND THOUGHT WE WERE PARKED, EVEN THOUGH THE ROTATING BEACON WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. THE RAMP PERSON WHO OPENED THE DOOR SAID HE HAD MOTIONED THE DRIVER FORWARD FOR THE SAME REASON. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF: RAMP PERSONNEL ADHERED TO THEIR RULES OF NOT APCHING AN ACFT UNTIL THE ROTATING BEACON WAS EXTINGUISHED, AND IF ACR USED THE SAME PROCS USED BY OTHER AIRLINES OF HAVING A MARSHALLER TO GUIDE THE CREW IN PARKING THE ACFT AND HAVING WING WALKERS ON EACH WING TO ASSURE CLRNC FROM ALL OBSTACLES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 305269: AS WE APCHED THE GATE THE MARSHALLER GAVE THE CAPT THE STOP SIGNAL AND HE COMPLIED. AS COPLT, I CHKED THE R SIDE AND SAW NOTHING UNUSUAL. I THEN LOOKED L TO OBSERVE THE LOADING BRIDGE CLOSER THAN NORMAL, BUT BEING MOVED BACK. I SWITCHED MY AUDIO CTL PANEL AND ASKED THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED UNTIL WE WERE IN PROPER POS. DURING THIS BRIEF STOP THE BELT LOADER WAS POSITIONED TO THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. AS WE SUBSEQUENTLY TAXIED FORWARD TO THE PARKING SPOT THE R ENG NACELLE STRUCK THE BELT LOADER. ALL PERSONNEL WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTED. THIS INCIDENT WAS PRECIPITATED BY THE JETWAY BEING IMPROPERLY POSITIONED, AND AGGRAVATED BY THE BELT LOADER BEING MOVED PREMATURELY.

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.