A B737-800 PIC EXPERIENCES A #1 ENG COWL STRIKE ON A MISPARKED JETWAY DURING A NIGHT PARKING OP AT ATL; GA.

Narrative

AS I PULLED IN TO THE GATE AT ATL; THE ACFT STRUCK THE JETWAY WITH THE #1 ENG. AS I APCHED THE PARKING SPOT; I FELT THAT THE JETWAY AND TUG WERE NOT IN NORMAL POS. I CAME TO A STOP AT WHAT I FELT WAS THE NORMAL PARKING POS; ALTHOUGH THE PARKING LIGHT SYS STILL SHOWED GREEN FOR CONTINUE. AFTER STOPPING; WITH THE LIGHT STILL GREEN; I ADVANCED PWR AND SLOWLY MOVED FORWARD; FINALLY GETTING A YELLOW; THEN A RED LIGHT; AT WHICH I STOPPED. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF SITTING THERE; NO ONE TALKING TO US; I OPENED THE CAPT'S WINDOW TO FIND SOMEONE TO ASK. I THEN SAW SEVERAL PEOPLE LOOKING AT THE JETWAY WHICH APPEARED VERY CLOSE TO THE #1 ENG. I WAS TOLD THEY MAY HAVE TOUCHED. AFTER THE JETWAY WAS MOVED AWAY; A SCRATCH AND DENT NO MORE THAN 6 INCHES LONG WAS FOUND ON THE TOP OF THE #1 ENG COWL. ON FURTHER OBSERVATION; THE JETWAY WAS NOT PARKED IN THE BOX. ALSO; THE PARKING DIRECTOR DID NOT ASSESS THE AREA PRIOR TO OUR ARR (APPARENTLY) TO ENSURE ALL WAS PREPARED. THE PARKING DIRECTOR ALSO DID NOT MONITOR THE ACFT APCH OF THE ENG AND THE JETWAY; EVEN THOUGH HE WAS STANDING AT THE BASE END OF THE JETWAY.