Narrative:

Aircraft was approaching the lead-in line for parking at gate at ZZZ. Initially the guide man was not visible until the aircraft approached the 70-80 degree position reference the lead-in line. The captain began the 90 degree turn onto the lead-in line and was following guide man directions. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary except for the fact that the jetway appeared to be in a much lower position than normal. It did not; however; appear to be an obstruction to the aircraft. The captain continued to taxi toward the stop bar following guide man signals and was centered on the lead-in line throughout the entire event. I checked the right side of the aircraft as we rolled out on the lead-in line for any obstructions and then also monitored the guide man visual signals as the aircraft approached the stop bar. Approximately 5 seconds before reaching the stop bar; both the captain and I heard a grinding noise from the left side of the aircraft. I immediately looked to the left and saw the jetway moving. As the aircraft stopped; and the brakes were set; the captain commented that he hoped that the noise was not us hitting something. I commented that I thought it might have been the gears or drive motor of the moving jetway that we heard. It took several mins to get external power after which we completed engine shutdown and parking checklists. At no time during or after parking did the flight attendants or any passenger mention anything unusual. There were also no communications with ground personnel to indicate anything unusual. After passenger and flight attendants had left; both the captain and I went down to the ramp and noticed a dent on the outside lip of #1 engine cowling. It was approximately 1.5 inches deep and 10-12 inches top to bottom. We proceeded to operations where ground personnel confirmed that the jetway had come in contact with the aircraft. Maintenance was contacted. The next morning when we came back to the airport; we were told by several air carrier employees that this was a new jetway and the previous night was the first time that it had been used. We were also told; and our visual observations confirmed; that the jetway parking envelope markings and limit markings had not yet been painted on the ramp. As a result the ground personnel did not have a clear indication that the jetway was parked in a position that would be clear of the arriving aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 649476: the jetway was new; not approved for use by the airport or air carrier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A NIGHTTIME JETWAY PARKING OP; AN A329 ENG COWLING STRUCK A JETWAY NOT AUTH FOR THAT TYPE OF ACFT.

Narrative: ACFT WAS APCHING THE LEAD-IN LINE FOR PARKING AT GATE AT ZZZ. INITIALLY THE GUIDE MAN WAS NOT VISIBLE UNTIL THE ACFT APCHED THE 70-80 DEG POS REF THE LEAD-IN LINE. THE CAPT BEGAN THE 90 DEG TURN ONTO THE LEAD-IN LINE AND WAS FOLLOWING GUIDE MAN DIRECTIONS. NOTHING APPEARED OUT OF THE ORDINARY EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THE JETWAY APPEARED TO BE IN A MUCH LOWER POS THAN NORMAL. IT DID NOT; HOWEVER; APPEAR TO BE AN OBSTRUCTION TO THE ACFT. THE CAPT CONTINUED TO TAXI TOWARD THE STOP BAR FOLLOWING GUIDE MAN SIGNALS AND WAS CTRED ON THE LEAD-IN LINE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EVENT. I CHKED THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT AS WE ROLLED OUT ON THE LEAD-IN LINE FOR ANY OBSTRUCTIONS AND THEN ALSO MONITORED THE GUIDE MAN VISUAL SIGNALS AS THE ACFT APCHED THE STOP BAR. APPROX 5 SECONDS BEFORE REACHING THE STOP BAR; BOTH THE CAPT AND I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE FROM THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED TO THE L AND SAW THE JETWAY MOVING. AS THE ACFT STOPPED; AND THE BRAKES WERE SET; THE CAPT COMMENTED THAT HE HOPED THAT THE NOISE WAS NOT US HITTING SOMETHING. I COMMENTED THAT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE GEARS OR DRIVE MOTOR OF THE MOVING JETWAY THAT WE HEARD. IT TOOK SEVERAL MINS TO GET EXTERNAL PWR AFTER WHICH WE COMPLETED ENG SHUTDOWN AND PARKING CHKLISTS. AT NO TIME DURING OR AFTER PARKING DID THE FLT ATTENDANTS OR ANY PAX MENTION ANYTHING UNUSUAL. THERE WERE ALSO NO COMS WITH GND PERSONNEL TO INDICATE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. AFTER PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS HAD LEFT; BOTH THE CAPT AND I WENT DOWN TO THE RAMP AND NOTICED A DENT ON THE OUTSIDE LIP OF #1 ENG COWLING. IT WAS APPROX 1.5 INCHES DEEP AND 10-12 INCHES TOP TO BOTTOM. WE PROCEEDED TO OPS WHERE GND PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THAT THE JETWAY HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE ACFT. MAINT WAS CONTACTED. THE NEXT MORNING WHEN WE CAME BACK TO THE ARPT; WE WERE TOLD BY SEVERAL ACR EMPLOYEES THAT THIS WAS A NEW JETWAY AND THE PREVIOUS NIGHT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT IT HAD BEEN USED. WE WERE ALSO TOLD; AND OUR VISUAL OBSERVATIONS CONFIRMED; THAT THE JETWAY PARKING ENVELOPE MARKINGS AND LIMIT MARKINGS HAD NOT YET BEEN PAINTED ON THE RAMP. AS A RESULT THE GND PERSONNEL DID NOT HAVE A CLR INDICATION THAT THE JETWAY WAS PARKED IN A POS THAT WOULD BE CLR OF THE ARRIVING ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 649476: THE JETWAY WAS NEW; NOT APPROVED FOR USE BY THE AIRPORT OR ACR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.