A B737-500; WHILE BEING GUIDED ON TO A GATE; STRUCK THE JETWAY INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE L ENG INLET COWL.

Narrative

UNEVENTFUL SOP FLT FROM ORD TO ALB. CALLED STATION AFTER LNDG FOR ARR GATE; PROCEEDED TO ACR GATE. THIS IS A NEW GATE FOR ALB. AS WE APCHED THE RAMP; THE GUIDE MAN WAS ON THE LINE AND USED SOP SIGNALS DURING THE ARR. WE MADE OUR FINAL TURN ONTO THE LINE AND FLASHED THE TAXI LIGHT TO SIGNAL XFER OF GUIDANCE. THE #2 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE CAPT AND MYSELF BOTH VERBALLY ANNOUNCED THAT THE AREA WAS CLR. AS WE NEARED THE STOP AREA AT A SLOW RATE OF SPD; THE CAPT MENTIONED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE 'BRINGING US IN DEEP.' AT THIS POINT; BASED ON INSTINCT; THE CAPT BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A COMPLETE STOP. AT THIS TIME; AN ADDITIONAL GND CREW MAN WENT OVER TO THE GUIDE MAN AND THEY BOTH LOOKED UNDER OUR L WING TOWARD THE #1 ENG AREA. AT THIS TIME THE GUIDE MAN SIGNALED US TO ONCE AGAIN MOVE FORWARD. MAKING NOTE THAT BTWN THE 2 GUIDE MEN AND THE 2 INDIVIDUALS ON THE JETWAY THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT PERSONNEL AVAILABLE OUTSIDE THE ACFT MAKING A DETERMINATION THAT THE ACFT WAS CLR OF ALL OBSTACLES. WE THEN FOLLOWED THE GUIDE MAN'S SIGNAL TO TAXI FORWARD. WE DID SO AT A VERY CAUTIOUS SLOW PACE. THE GUIDE MAN THEN GAVE AN SOP STOP SIGNAL AND THE ACFT WAS THEN STOPPED. THE ENG WAS THEN SHUT DOWN AND THE PARKING CHKLIST WAS THEN COMPLETED. 10 MINS AFTER SHUTDOWN AN AGENT ADVISED US THAT THE JETWAY HAD STRUCK THE #1 ENG CAUSING A DENT 1 INCH LONG AND 3/8 INCH DEEP. HE STATED THAT THE #1 ENG HAD COME TO REST AGAINST A BEAM PROTRUDING FROM THE JETWAY. WE FELT NOTHING STRIKE THE ACFT OR HAD ANY OTHER INDICATIONS OF DAMAGE WHILE PARKING.