MLG L COWL HITS JETWAY IN RAMP OP CFT PARKING PROC DURING A NIGHT OP. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative

WE LANDED ON RWY 32 IN PIT INTL ARPT AND TAXIED TO THE S RAMP AREA. AS WE APCHED OUR ASSIGNED GATE; WE SAW THE SELF-PARKING MIRROR AND PROCEEDED TOWARD THE GATE ON THE TAXI LINE. THE CAPT BEGAN LOOKING IN THE MIRROR FOR THE MLG X NOSEWHEEL STOP-LINE. AS WE APCHED THE GATE; EXPECTING TO SEE THE MLG X STOP-LINE; WE FIRST SPOTTED THE MLG Z STOP-LINE AND THE CAPT CALLED IT OUT AS IT CAME INTO VIEW. HE NEXT SAW THE LGT STOP-LINE AND THEN AN MLG Y STOP-LINE. WE THEN STOPPED THE ACFT AND REQUESTED THAT GND PERSONNEL TOW THE ACFT TO THE PROPER SPOT. THEY INFORMED US THAT IT WAS BEHIND US. WE LOOKED OUT TO SEE THE L LOWER SPOTLIGHT OF THE JETWAY HAD IMPACTED THE L ENG COWLING. UPON DEPLANING THE ACFT; I INSPECTED THE RAMP AREA AND FOUND THE MLG X STOP-LINE. THE TAXI LINES AND STOP-LINES ARE NOT PAINTED VERY BRIGHTLY; ESPECIALLY FOR NIGHT LIGHTING CONDITIONS AT THE RAMP AREA AROUND GATE. ALSO; THE MLG X STOP-LINE WAS OBSCURED BY RAMP STAIRS WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO READ; ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT AND EVEN WHILE STANDING ON THE GND. WHILE TALKING TO THE JET WAY DRIVER; WE WERE TOLD THAT THE JETWAY WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY RETRACTED FURTHER TOWARD THE TERMINAL THAN IT WAS WHEN WE ARRIVED. MR. RX; THE SHIFT MGR; TOLD US THAT THE JETWAY NEEDED TO BE RETRACTED FURTHER TOWARD THE TERMINAL FOR AN MLG X ARR; BUT IT WAS NOT DONE IN THIS CASE. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THE JETWAY NOT BEING RETRACTED AND THE POOR SELF-PARKING ARRANGEMENT; COMBINED WITH THE POOR LIGHTING CONDITIONS AROUND OUR GATE. HAD THE JETWAY BEEN RETRACTED; THE MLG X STOP-LINE COME INTO VIEW SOONER OR ONE OF THE GND PERSONNEL AIDED US IN PARKING THE ACFT; THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN AVOIDED. THE FACT THAT IT WAS BOTH PLT'S FIRST ARR AT THE NEW TERMINAL IN PITTSBURGH IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.