A B747-400 TAXIES INTO THE JETWAY BOARDING GATE WHEN THE AUTOMATED PARKING GUIDANCE STOPS THE ACFT 12 FT PAST THE REQUIRED STOP AREA. ACFT'S WING IS DAMAGED.

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UPON ARRIVING AT AMSTERDAM SCHIPOL ARPT GATE; THE VISUAL GUIDANCE SYS WAS NOT OPERATING. AFTER 5 MINS THE SYS WAS TURNED ON. I PROCEEDED INTO GATE AREA UTILIZING VISUAL LIGHT GUIDANCE. NO INDICATION OF ANY IRREGULARITY. UPON STOPPING; I WAS INFORMED BY GND CREW THAT THE L INBOARD WING HAD HIT THE BOARDING GATE. INVESTIGATIVE INQUIRIES AFTERWARD REVEAL 2 WITNESSES STATING GREEN PROCEED LIGHTS WERE STILL ILLUMINATED AFTER ACFT WAS BEYOND STOP POINT. THE RED STOP LIGHTS ILLUMINATED APPROX 10 FT BEYOND STOP POINT. THE ASSISTANT STATION MGR STATED AT LEAST 4 PRIOR INCIDENTS OCCURRED AT THIS GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 399554: MINOR ACFT DAMAGE; NO INJURIES; NO HUMAN MARSHALLERS WERE AVAILABLE OR WERE USED. NO APPARENT MALFUNCTIONS WERE INDICATED. THE CAPT FOLLOWED ALL GUIDANCE INSTRUCTIONS PROPERLY. THE SYS BROUGHT THE ACFT APPROX 12 FT TOO FAR FORWARD. THE L WING ROOT MADE CONTACT WITH THE LOWER EDGE OF THE JETWAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FO RPTR STATED THE CORRECT ACFT IDENT WAS DISPLAYED WITHIN THE SIGN AREA. HE DID NOT KNOW WHY IT WAS INITIALLY OFF AND TURNED ON LATE FOR THEIR ARR. SO FAR AS THE 'WATCH' PERSON WAS CONCERNED; HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT ANY PERSONNEL BEING AROUND AND DID NOT SEE ANYONE. THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW UP BY THE AIRLINE REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. AN AIRLINE MGR WAS IN THE TERMINAL BLDG AND SAW THE EVENT. HE HAD CROSSED HIS ARMS TO TRY TO STOP THE ACFT; BUT OF COURSE; THE CREW WAS NOT LOOKING AT HIM. THE MGR SAID THE LIGHT WAS STILL GREEN AT THAT POINT. THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT 4 OR 5 OTHER INCIDENTS OF LIKE NATURE TO OTHER AIRLINES AT THIS GATE.