20201020016529I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Airbus A321-231 · Fort Laudardale, FL · October 20, 2020

Date: October 20, 2020 · 09:00 local
Place: Fort Laudardale, FL
Airport: Fort Laudardale International
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator: GTIA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N684NK
Reported as: Airbus A321-231
Reported engine: IAE V2533-A5
People aboard: 136
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,200 total4,000 in this make and model

N684NKRegistered now · Airbus A321-231S/N 8047 · Built 2018 Airframe modelAirbus A321-231 Engine modelIAE V2533-A5Turbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Approaching gate F8 pilot observed a marshaler and two wing walkers in position and observed that the safety zone was clear. From the view on the flight deck, all items within the safety zone as well as the jetbridge appeared to be inside the safety zone making it safe to taxi forward on the lead in line. Lined up on lead in line and followed marshaler instructions. The jetbridge appeared to be a sufficient distance from the aircraft when the CA window passed by. Continued forward slowly following marshaler instructions and pilot felt a bump on the aircraft and applied brakes and held them. The airplane struck the jet bridge with the left cowling.

As the FAA filed it

APPROACHING GATE F8 PILOT OBSERVED A MARSHALER AND TWO WING WALKERS IN POSITION AND OBSERVED THAT THE SAFETY ZONE WAS CLEAR. FROM THE VIEW ON THE FLIGHT DECK, ALL ITEMS WITHIN THE SAFETY ZONE AS WELL AS THE JETBRIDGE APPEARED TO BE INSIDE THE SAFETY ZONE MAKING IT SAFE TO TAXI FORWARD ON THE LEAD IN LINE. LINED UP ON LEAD IN LINE AND FOLLOWED MARSHALER INSTRUCTIONS. THE JETBRIDGE APPEARED TO BE A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE FROM THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THE CA WINDOW PASSED BY. CONTINUED FORWARD SLOWLY FOLLOWING MARSHALER INSTRUCTIONS AND PILOT FELT A BUMP ON THE AIRCRAFT AND APPLIED BRAKES AND HELD THEM. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE JET BRIDGE WITH THE LEFT COWLING.