A B757-200'S L ENG CONTACTED THE JETBRIDGE DURING TAXI INTO PARKING WHERE THE CREW WAS FOLLOWING AUTOMATIC SELF PARKING GUIDANCE.

Narrative

PULLING IN TO GATE AT MIA USING THE SELF PARKING SYS. GND CREW WERE GETTING OUT OF THE WAY AS WE PULLED IN TO THE GATE AREA. SAFE PARKING SYS WAS SHOWING B757-200 FOR OUR ACFT AND WE PROCEEDED TO PARK. AS WE TURNED THE CORNER; WE HAD ENOUGH COOLING TIME TO SHUT DOWN AN ENG AND I DIRECTED THE FO TO CHOOSE AN ENG AND SHUT ONE DOWN. HE CHOSE THE L WHICH WAS A GREAT CHOICE WE FOUND OUT LATER. AS WE WERE COMING IN TO THE GATE; WE BOTH LOOKED AND SAW EVERYTHING WAS BEHIND THE LINE. WE PROCEEDED IN TO THE GATE AND SAFE PARKING SHOWED NORMAL; AND I STOPPED WHEN IT SAID TO. WE WERE WAITING FOR THE JETBRIDGE AND HAD COMPLETED THE SHUTDOWN CHK AND I GOT OUT OF THE SEAT TO OPEN THE COCKPIT DOOR AND THE #4 WAS CALLING THE #1 AND SAYING WE MAY HAVE HIT THE JETBRIDGE. I THEN ASKED THE FO TO CALL MAINT AND HAVE THEM CHK IT OUT. WE HAD TO WAIT FOR A LONG TIME AS MGRS CAME TO TAKE PICTURES AND THEN WE WERE PUSHED BACK AND THEN BACK INTO THE GATE AFTER THE JETBRIDGE WAS RELOCATED. WHEN I TALKED TO THE GND CREW WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR THE DOOR TO OPEN HE SAID WE WERE SHORT OF THE STOPPING POINT AND THAT THE JETBRIDGE WHEELS WERE BEHIND THE LINE BUT THE BRIDGE WAS OVER THE LINE. WE WENT TO SEE THE DAMAGE AND IT WAS A SMALL DENT ON THE OUTER COWLING OF THE ENG. MAINT TOOK THE ACFT OTS. I TALKED WITH MGR BAGGAGE OPS AND SHE THOUGHT WE WERE 1/2 TIRE ROTATION FROM THE STOP LINE. SHE SAID THE SAFE PARKING SYS SHOULD HAVE TOLD US THE JETBRIDGE WAS OUT OF POS. A B737 HAD JUST LEFT THE GATE AND IT WAS STILL IN POS FROM WHEN IT LEFT. LESSONS OR KEYS TO BREAKING THE CHAIN OF MISHAP EVENTS. JETBRIDGE PULLED BACK TO ITS PROPER POS -- SAFE GATE SENSORS INOP? HAVE THEM CHKED MORE OFTEN. NOT JUST LOOK FOR EQUIP AND WHEELS BEHIND THE LINE BUT LOOK TO SEE IF AREA CLR VERTICALLY GND CREW COULD LOOK BEFORE AND SEE THE JETBRIDGE NOT IN PROPER POS. THINGS THAT WORKED FOR US. THE FO PICKING THE L ENG TO SHUT DOWN; AND ME BEING SLOW ENOUGH TO STOP WHEN THE SIGN CAME ON KEEPING US 3-9 INCHES SHORT OF THE REAL STOP LINE.