AN ACR B-737 HIT A JETWAY WITH ITS WINGTIP.

Narrative

DURING PREFLT GND OPS; ENG START ON BOTH ENGS WAS ACCOMPLISHED TO FACILITATE A TIGHT R TURN AWAY FROM PARKING AT ROC GATE AND ALLOW FOR A MINIMUM TKOF DELAY ON NEARBY RWY 22. AFTER CHKLIST COMPLETION; THE CAPT REQUESTED I GET TAXI CLRNC FROM ATC GND CTL. THIS TOOK PLACE WHILE THE JETWAY RETRACTED FROM THE ACFT ENTRANCE DOOR AND SWUNG AFT FROM THE ACFT'S NOSE. THE ATC CLRNC WAS OBTAINED WHILE THE LONE ENG START OBSERVER/ACFT MARSHALLER/JETWAY MARSHALLER WALKED AFT FROM HIS POS LOW IN FRONT OF THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD TO MARSHALL THE REPOSITIONING OF THE JETWAY (OUT OF VIEW) TOWARD A POS AFT AND AWAY FROM THE ACFT ENTRANCE DOOR. COUPLED WITH THE DEP OF THE MARSHALLER FROM VIEW; THE CAPT PERCEIVED THIS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS TO MEAN THAT THE ACFT WAS THEN CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS. THE ACFT WAS PLACED IN MOTION TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN FROM THE GATE AREA AND THE L WING LEADING EDGE STRUCK THE JETWAY A FEW FT INBOARD OF THE WINGTIP. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED. THE ENG START AND MARSHALLING SEQUENCE USED STANDARD HAND SIGNALS; BUT DID NOT USE GND-TO-COCKPIT HEADSET COMS. A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL WAS PERFORMING ALL 3 GND OBSERVER FUNCTIONS: ENG START GUARD; ACFT TAXI MARSHALLER; AND JETWAY MARSHALLER. HIS POS ON THE GND RELATIVE TO ME IN THE R SEAT MADE MY ASSISTANCE TO THE CAPT IMPOSSIBLE AS I COULDN'T SEE THE MARSHALLER FROM MY SEAT. WHILE I COULD AND DID INFORM THE CAPT THAT THERE WERE NO OBSTRUCTIONS ON MY SIDE PRIOR TO TAXI OUT; I UNDERSTOOD THE CAPT HAD RECEIVED THE NORMAL ALL CLR SALUTE FROM THE MARSHALLER WHO WAS OUT OF MY FIELD OF VIEW ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) ALL STARTS/TAXI CLRNCS FROM MARSHALLERS BE MADE WITH HEADSETS EQUIPPED WITH NOISE SUPPRESSING MICROPHONES. 2) TAXI OUTS FROM JETWAYS/AIRSTAIRS (NON PUSHBACKS) SHOULD USE 2 MARSHALLERS AS A MINIMUM. 3) START GUARDS AND MARSHALLERS SHOULD ENSURE THEY POS THEMSELVES AT ALL TIMES SO THAT BOTH PLTS CAN CONTINUOUSLY OBSERVE ALL SIGNALS FROM EITHER FLT DECK SEAT.