# Incident 20020214006599I: Boeing 7377H4, Chicago, IL, February 14, 2002

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 14, 2002, 14:55 local time
- Place: Chicago, IL
- Airport: Chicago Midway
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: SWAA
- Location: 41.7856° N, 87.7527° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at CHICAGO MIDWAY INTL (MDW), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7856&lon=-87.7527&mi=10
- Aircraft: N407WN, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N407WN-2025-05-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Boeing 737-7H4 (registry code 1384404, https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-7h4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: CFM International CFM56 series (registry code 13802, https://openairdocs.org/engine/cfm-international-cfm56-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 7377H4
- Reported engine: GE CFM56*
- People aboard: 63
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,300 total, 6,800 in this make and model, 166 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020214006599I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON FEBRUARY 14, 2002 AT 14:55 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, THE GREAT LAKES REGIONAL CONTROL WAS INFORMED THAT SOUTHWEST (SWAA) FLIGHT #123, A BOEING 737-7H4 AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION NUMBER N407WN, HAD IMPACTED A PASSENGER BOARDING JETWAY BRIDGE AT THE CHICAGO MIDWAY AIRPORT (MDW). ON FEBRUARY 15, 2002, THE CHICAGO O'HARE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. INITIAL INQUIRIES INTO THE INCIDENT REVEALED THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT ENGINE INTAKE COWLING. AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS PERFORMED THE ON SCEND INVESTIGATION ON FEBRUARY 19, 2002. A REPORT FILED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) INDICATED THAT FLIGHT #123, ENROUTE FROM JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI (JAN), LANDED AT MDW AND PROCEEDED TO TERMINAL GATE F-18. AFTER TURNING ON THE TAXI LINE TO THE GATE THE PIC FOCUSED ON THE MARSHALLER FOR FINAL DIRECTIONS INTO THE DESIGNATED PARKING SPOT. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINES THE PIC REPORTED HE NOTICED THE LEFT ENGINE WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE JETWAY. AFTER DEPLANING 58 PASSENGERS AND 5 CREWMEMBERS THE PIC TALKED TO THE JETWAY OPERATOR WHERE UPON HE FOUND THE TOP OF THE LEFT ENGINE HAD IMPACTED THE JETWAY. THE PIC INDICATED, IN HIS REPORT, THAT HE DID NOT FEEL ANY IMPACT WHILE TAXIING INTO THE SPOT. IN A REPORT OBTAINED FROM SWAA, THE JETWAY OPERATOR STATED THAT SINCE NEW "AIRCRAFT SAFETY ENVELOPE" AND "STOP MARKS" HAD BEEN REPAINTED AND MOVED APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET CLOSER TO THE TERMINAL THAT MORNING, SHE TRIED TO ANTICIPATE THE AIRCRAFT'S FINAL POSITION RELATIVE TO THE JETWAY BRIDGE PRIOR TO ITS ARRIVAL. THE JETWAY OPERATOR DID NOT REALIZE THE BRIDGE WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED UNTIL AFTER AIRCRAFT CABIN DOOR MOVED PAST THE JETWAY BRIDGE AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. THE OPERATOR ALSO NOTED THAT PART OF THE LEFT ENGINE WAS NOW UNDER THE JETWAY BRIDGE. IN THE ATTEMPT TO PROPERLY REPOSITION THE JETWAY THE BRIDGE SCRAPPED THE TOP OF THE ENGINE COWLING CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED FROM SERVICE AFTER SWAA MAINTENANCE INSPECTED THE DAMAGE AND FOUND A 20-INCH LONG BY 1/4 INCH DEEP GOUGE IN TOP OF THE LEFT ENGINE COWLING. SWAA MAINTENANCE PERFORMED A DRAGGED ENGINE NACELLE INSPECTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BOEING MAINTENANCE MANUAL. CHAPTER 05-51-10-2, BUT FOUND NO FURTHER DAMAGE. A TEMPORARY SPEED TAPE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED ON THE NOSE COWLING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SWAA STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL IN ANTICIPATION OF A MAINTENANCE FERRY FLIGHT TO A MAJOR MAINTENANCE BASE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AND RELEASED FOR A ONE-TIME FERRY FLIGHT TO THE DALLAS LOVE FIELD (DAL) MAINTENANCE FACILITY WHERE THE NOSE COWLING WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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