Narrative:

Pushed off gate X, set brakes and started the left engine. I then called ramp tower for taxi clearance and we were told to taxi to spot 1 india. The captain visually cleared the left side of the aircraft and asked me 'clear right?' at that time I looked out the right window and responded 'clear right' as there was no ground equipment near the aircraft at that time. Taxi was initiated at a slow speed due to the usually congested area. As the aircraft approached spot 1 india, a small tug pulling a baggage cart came into view off the right side of the aircraft and the driver was motioning for us to hold position. We assumed they wanted to load more bags and we stopped at spot 1 india. The baggage cart driver did not immediately approach the aircraft and after some delay I motioned for him to come to the first officer window. He then told me that there had been contact between a container loader and the right wing of the aircraft. Gate was to our left and vacant. Ramp cleared us into gate Y to allow further investigation. At no time did the captain or myself see any ground equipment that appeared to be in the 'comfort zone' around the aircraft that would not allow for normal cautious taxi. We did not feel any impact from contacting the container loader. Considering it was steel versus aluminum, the damage to the aircraft was light (although expensive) and I believe it indicates that both vehicles were moving at very slow speed. After briefly inspecting the container loader I did find it curious that the single point of impact that I could see would seem to indicate that the vehicles came together from the side rather than the aircraft overtaking the loader from the rear. Supplemental information from acn 251205: the wing tips are blind spots on medium large transport aircraft and not visible from the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT COLLIDED WITH A GND LOADING VEHICLE DURING TAXI FROM GATE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WING TIP.

Narrative: PUSHED OFF GATE X, SET BRAKES AND STARTED THE L ENG. I THEN CALLED RAMP TWR FOR TAXI CLRNC AND WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO SPOT 1 INDIA. THE CAPT VISUALLY CLRED THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND ASKED ME 'CLR RIGHT?' AT THAT TIME I LOOKED OUT THE R WINDOW AND RESPONDED 'CLR RIGHT' AS THERE WAS NO GND EQUIP NEAR THE ACFT AT THAT TIME. TAXI WAS INITIATED AT A SLOW SPD DUE TO THE USUALLY CONGESTED AREA. AS THE ACFT APCHED SPOT 1 INDIA, A SMALL TUG PULLING A BAGGAGE CART CAME INTO VIEW OFF THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT AND THE DRIVER WAS MOTIONING FOR US TO HOLD POS. WE ASSUMED THEY WANTED TO LOAD MORE BAGS AND WE STOPPED AT SPOT 1 INDIA. THE BAGGAGE CART DRIVER DID NOT IMMEDIATELY APCH THE ACFT AND AFTER SOME DELAY I MOTIONED FOR HIM TO COME TO THE FO WINDOW. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN CONTACT BTWN A CONTAINER LOADER AND THE R WING OF THE ACFT. GATE WAS TO OUR L AND VACANT. RAMP CLRED US INTO GATE Y TO ALLOW FURTHER INVESTIGATION. AT NO TIME DID THE CAPT OR MYSELF SEE ANY GND EQUIP THAT APPEARED TO BE IN THE 'COMFORT ZONE' AROUND THE ACFT THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR NORMAL CAUTIOUS TAXI. WE DID NOT FEEL ANY IMPACT FROM CONTACTING THE CONTAINER LOADER. CONSIDERING IT WAS STEEL VERSUS ALUMINUM, THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS LIGHT (ALTHOUGH EXPENSIVE) AND I BELIEVE IT INDICATES THAT BOTH VEHICLES WERE MOVING AT VERY SLOW SPD. AFTER BRIEFLY INSPECTING THE CONTAINER LOADER I DID FIND IT CURIOUS THAT THE SINGLE POINT OF IMPACT THAT I COULD SEE WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THE VEHICLES CAME TOGETHER FROM THE SIDE RATHER THAN THE ACFT OVERTAKING THE LOADER FROM THE REAR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 251205: THE WING TIPS ARE BLIND SPOTS ON MLG ACFT AND NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.