B757 crew collides with jetway bridge taxiing into gate at kdtw.

Attributes
ACN	570835
Time
Date	200301
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Snow
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iad.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground other : gate marshalling
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10300 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	570835
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	570735
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe ground encounters other non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The cowling on the left engine was damaged when it made contact with the jetbridge while taxiing into the gate in kdtw. We had received a gate change while inbound to kdtw, probably because we were 40 mins early. Upon reaching the gate area, we parked 2-3 aircraft lengths away from the gate awaiting a marshaler. A guide person arrived and began to wave us in to the gate. The ramp area was contaminated with slush and snow covering many parts of the painted safety lines. The jetbridge was positioned lower than normal, but did not appear to be in the safety zone. As the captain began slowing nearly to a stop, at what appeared to be our stopping spot, I continued with my approaching the gate duties when I felt a stop, which felt more abrupt than normal. As I looked over at the captain, I observed him shutting down the left engine, which is unusual. He had been given a signal by the marshaler to shutdown the left engine and an emergency stop signal. We secured the aircraft and learned we had been taxied into the jet bridge damaging the left engine cowl. I feel the contributing factors were as follows: 1) the safety lines were obscured. 2) the jetbridge was left positioning too far out from the terminal extending into the safety zone. 3) the marshaler not clearing the area appropriately and failure of marshaler to utilize guide persons. Supplemental information from acn 570735: the ramp surface was covered by approximately 1-2 inches of snow and slush obscuring safety zone markings. The marshaler signaled us to taxi forward along the lead-in line matching the nose gear, but not the entire parking area. There were no other wing walkers or other safety observers present. I slowed the aircraft, purposing to stop, but the aircraft came to a somewhat abrupt stop on its own. I initially thought the brakes had grabbed. I realized things were not good. The aircraft was not moving forward, and after a few seconds, the marshaler got an alarmed look on his face, gave us the emergency stop and shutdown signal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW COLLIDES WITH JETWAY BRIDGE TAXIING INTO GATE AT KDTW.

Narrative: THE COWLING ON THE L ENG WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE JETBRIDGE WHILE TAXIING INTO THE GATE IN KDTW. WE HAD RECEIVED A GATE CHANGE WHILE INBOUND TO KDTW, PROBABLY BECAUSE WE WERE 40 MINS EARLY. UPON REACHING THE GATE AREA, WE PARKED 2-3 ACFT LENGTHS AWAY FROM THE GATE AWAITING A MARSHALER. A GUIDE PERSON ARRIVED AND BEGAN TO WAVE US IN TO THE GATE. THE RAMP AREA WAS CONTAMINATED WITH SLUSH AND SNOW COVERING MANY PARTS OF THE PAINTED SAFETY LINES. THE JETBRIDGE WAS POSITIONED LOWER THAN NORMAL, BUT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE IN THE SAFETY ZONE. AS THE CAPT BEGAN SLOWING NEARLY TO A STOP, AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE OUR STOPPING SPOT, I CONTINUED WITH MY APCHING THE GATE DUTIES WHEN I FELT A STOP, WHICH FELT MORE ABRUPT THAN NORMAL. AS I LOOKED OVER AT THE CAPT, I OBSERVED HIM SHUTTING DOWN THE L ENG, WHICH IS UNUSUAL. HE HAD BEEN GIVEN A SIGNAL BY THE MARSHALER TO SHUTDOWN THE L ENG AND AN EMER STOP SIGNAL. WE SECURED THE ACFT AND LEARNED WE HAD BEEN TAXIED INTO THE JET BRIDGE DAMAGING THE L ENG COWL. I FEEL THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE AS FOLLOWS: 1) THE SAFETY LINES WERE OBSCURED. 2) THE JETBRIDGE WAS LEFT POSITIONING TOO FAR OUT FROM THE TERMINAL EXTENDING INTO THE SAFETY ZONE. 3) THE MARSHALER NOT CLRING THE AREA APPROPRIATELY AND FAILURE OF MARSHALER TO UTILIZE GUIDE PERSONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 570735: THE RAMP SURFACE WAS COVERED BY APPROX 1-2 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLUSH OBSCURING SAFETY ZONE MARKINGS. THE MARSHALER SIGNALED US TO TAXI FORWARD ALONG THE LEAD-IN LINE MATCHING THE NOSE GEAR, BUT NOT THE ENTIRE PARKING AREA. THERE WERE NO OTHER WING WALKERS OR OTHER SAFETY OBSERVERS PRESENT. I SLOWED THE ACFT, PURPOSING TO STOP, BUT THE ACFT CAME TO A SOMEWHAT ABRUPT STOP ON ITS OWN. I INITIALLY THOUGHT THE BRAKES HAD GRABBED. I REALIZED THINGS WERE NOT GOOD. THE ACFT WAS NOT MOVING FORWARD, AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE MARSHALER GOT AN ALARMED LOOK ON HIS FACE, GAVE US THE EMER STOP AND SHUTDOWN SIGNAL.

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.