B737 MOVING INTO GATE #2 ENG SHUT DOWN; #1 AT IDLE. MARSHALLER GAVE URGENT SIGNAL TO SHUT DOWN #!. HEARD GRINDING NOISE AND CHKING #1 ENG; SAW HEATER HOSE IN THE COWL AREA. PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY.

Narrative

WX CONDITIONS AT ROC (WIND 270-280 DEGS/15G21 10 MI VISIBILITY WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW; TEMP 27 DEGS; ALTIMETER 30.08) ON TAXI-IN. APCHING LEAD-IN LINE TO GATE AT ROC; EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. PARKING AREA WELL LIT AND ALL CLR AREAS AND LEAD-IN LINES WELL MARKED AND UNOBSCURED. SAFETY/FOUL AREAS WERE CLR OF ANY/ALL GND EQUIP. #2 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN APCHING LEAD-IN LINE; #1 ENG AT IDLE; AND THE ACFT SLOWLY COASTING TOWARD THE ACFT MARSHALLER; FOLLOWING HIS DIRECTIONS. AS THE MARSHALLER BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP; I FELT A VIBRATION (WHICH I THOUGHT WAS THE GUSTY WIND AT FIRST). THE MARSHALLER IMMEDIATELY GAVE ME THE #1 ENG SHUT DOWN SIGNAL (WHICH I SHUT DOWN) AND I IMMEDIATELY HEARD A GRINDING/CLANKING SOUND. I OPENED MY WINDOW; LOOKED BACK AT THE #1 ENG AND SAW AN EXTERNAL HEATER DUCTING HOSE IN THE #1 ENG INTAKE. THERE WERE SPARKS COMING FROM THE ROTATING FAN BLADES BUT NO FIRE. THE PAX EXITED THE ACFT IN A NORMAL CALM MANNER WITHOUT INCIDENT. APPARENTLY A GUST OF WIND BLEW THE DUCTING HOSE OFF THE TOP OF THE HEATER CART TOWARD THE #1 ENG AND THUS SUCKED IT UP INTO THE #1 ENG AND PROCEEDED TO GRIND UP THE HOSE AS WELL AS THE ATTACHING MECHANISM. ONE SOLUTION WOULD BE ATTACH HOSE TO CART MORE SECURELY WHEN NOT IN USE (OTHER THAN WRAPPING IT AROUND THE TOP OF CART) OR NOT ALLOW THAT TYPE CART AROUND SAFETY FOUL AREA UNTIL ACFT IS SHUT DOWN AND SECURED.