Narrative:

Flight departed sea proceeded to ord and taxied to new cargo area. Reporter's initial experience with new cargo. While approaching transition taxiway crew noted several baggage carts on left side of entrance way. They appeared to be left of the yellow taxiway boundary. As we pulled into the chocking area we became readily aware that we had a moderate film of mud on our windscreen. Using our aircraft windscreen washers we managed to clean the windscreen adequately. The flight departed ord and due to WX at jfk we diverted to our alternate ewr. While deplaning we were alerted by our mechanic of damage to fan section shroud bottom side. The color of the paint residue on the cowling made us suspicious of the baggage carts at ord cargo area. Upon further checking with our ramp people at ord we were advised that they discovered 3 carts with paint scraped on them, that were in proximity of #1 engine had the aircraft been on taxiway centerline. Because I was taxiing slowly with landing lights, runway turnoff lights and wing lights all illuminated, I am baffled as to how I missed seeing those baggage carts. Supplemental information from acn 106513: I noticed they were close to the taxiway centerline but I saw the captain look at them and look at his left wing for clearance, so thought no more about it. While on the ground at ord I did a normal preflight that was unremarkable but for strong gusts, water on the ramp and being at night. Ord maintenance personnel baggage carts found to have been scraped across the top. They were only 70' from the taxiway centerline--much too close.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB #1 ENGINE COWL HIT BAGGAGE CARTS TAXIING INTO CARGO AREA AT ORD. DAMAGE NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL ACFT ARR AT EWR.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED SEA PROCEEDED TO ORD AND TAXIED TO NEW CARGO AREA. RPTR'S INITIAL EXPERIENCE WITH NEW CARGO. WHILE APCHING TRANSITION TXWY CREW NOTED SEVERAL BAGGAGE CARTS ON LEFT SIDE OF ENTRANCE WAY. THEY APPEARED TO BE LEFT OF THE YELLOW TXWY BOUNDARY. AS WE PULLED INTO THE CHOCKING AREA WE BECAME READILY AWARE THAT WE HAD A MODERATE FILM OF MUD ON OUR WINDSCREEN. USING OUR ACFT WINDSCREEN WASHERS WE MANAGED TO CLEAN THE WINDSCREEN ADEQUATELY. THE FLT DEPARTED ORD AND DUE TO WX AT JFK WE DIVERTED TO OUR ALTERNATE EWR. WHILE DEPLANING WE WERE ALERTED BY OUR MECH OF DAMAGE TO FAN SECTION SHROUD BOTTOM SIDE. THE COLOR OF THE PAINT RESIDUE ON THE COWLING MADE US SUSPICIOUS OF THE BAGGAGE CARTS AT ORD CARGO AREA. UPON FURTHER CHKING WITH OUR RAMP PEOPLE AT ORD WE WERE ADVISED THAT THEY DISCOVERED 3 CARTS WITH PAINT SCRAPED ON THEM, THAT WERE IN PROX OF #1 ENG HAD THE ACFT BEEN ON TXWY CENTERLINE. BECAUSE I WAS TAXIING SLOWLY WITH LNDG LIGHTS, RWY TURNOFF LIGHTS AND WING LIGHTS ALL ILLUMINATED, I AM BAFFLED AS TO HOW I MISSED SEEING THOSE BAGGAGE CARTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 106513: I NOTICED THEY WERE CLOSE TO THE TXWY CENTERLINE BUT I SAW THE CAPT LOOK AT THEM AND LOOK AT HIS LEFT WING FOR CLRNC, SO THOUGHT NO MORE ABOUT IT. WHILE ON THE GND AT ORD I DID A NORMAL PREFLT THAT WAS UNREMARKABLE BUT FOR STRONG GUSTS, WATER ON THE RAMP AND BEING AT NIGHT. ORD MAINT PERSONNEL BAGGAGE CARTS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN SCRAPED ACROSS THE TOP. THEY WERE ONLY 70' FROM THE TXWY CENTERLINE--MUCH TOO CLOSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.