Large Transport
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 161
Communication Breakdown; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Object
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Procedure; Company Policy
We arrived and parked at the gate. After engine shutdown and 'chocks in' signal from the Ramp Agent; the parking brake was released; the aircraft remained stationary. Upon returning from a trip into the terminal; I found the fence on the right edge of the jetway in contact with the forward entry door; effectively closing off the forward entry; total travel was approximately four feet. The First Officer and A Flight Attendant both stated that they thought the jetway had moved uncommanded. The A Flight Attendant also stated that no one had been injured but that she had to physically pull a woman into the aircraft to prevent her from being stuck in the closing gap. I looked down through the gap between the jetway floor and the aircraft fuselage and noticed that the tug and tow bar were attached to the nose gear; the nose tires appeared to be displaced from the stop line by approximately a foot; and the chocks had been removed. Since there was a crease in the trim on the entry door; I contacted Dispatch and Maintenance Control; and waited for a Mechanic. A Technician then arrived and moved the jetway off of the aircraft.While waiting for the Mechanic; I retraced steps with the First Officer (FO). He stated that the cabin had become warm so he started the APU and contacted Operations to ask them to remove the ground air; as it was hot. He saw a Ramp Agent on the ramp; got his attention with the ground call; then gave him hand signals to remove the air and electric; which the Ramp Agent did. I asked the FO if he gave the signal or received any indication that the chocks should be removed; since they had apparently been removed at some point between block-in and jetway contact with the aircraft; he said he did not give a command and never had any indication that the chocks would be removed. Approximately five to ten minutes after having the air and electric removed; the FO said he heard the A Flight Attendant state that the jetway was moving. The FO said he did not feel the aircraft moving; and looked up to see the jetway moving; at a rapid rate and with a type of movement consistent with jetway movement. He then felt a bump as the jetway made contact with the aircraft. His initial belief was that someone had activated the controls and was driving the Jetway. The Mechanic arrived and determined that the damage was cosmetic and MEL'd a door trim piece. We completed boarding and departed. While enroute; I asked the A Flight Attendant if she had asked the woman that she pulled into the aircraft about what she experienced. After asking the woman; the A Flight Attendant said that the woman reported that the jetway was moving while they were in the Jetway.
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
Aircraft parking chocks were removed without the parking brake being set causing the aircraft to move a short distance.