Incident Details
During preparations to move the aircraft away from the gate, two ground crew members were positioned: one at the left nose and one by the left wing tip. The pilot advanced the throttles and initiated a right turn. Shortly after the aircraft began rolling, the throttles were returned to idle to prevent jet blast damage. According to the captain of Flight 37, upon looking out the window a second time, he observed a ground crew member signaling him to slow down. However, it was too late to avoid striking the jetway with the left wing tip.
Investigation Findings
Examination revealed that the jetway had been improperly positioned. This misplacement made it impossible for the Boeing 727 to clear the jetway during its departure maneuver.