Widebody transport hits baggage cart during parking procedure.

Attributes
ACN	268369
Time
Date	199404
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	268369
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

While parking at gate in ord, the #3 engine inlet impacted a parked unattended container loader. The aircraft was within 4 ft of the stop bar and the loader dented the lower outboard section (7 O'clock position) of the #3 nacelle. Accu park was in operation and being used. The loader was parked improperly yet the red lines denoting the 'danger zone' were worn away so as to be impossible to see. Red is a difficult color to see even when freshly painted. At some stations the red is bordered on either side by high visibility white. This is easier to see. Additionally, the 'accu park' system precludes the captain from using the available eyes on the ramp. Our mechanic saw the collision coming but could not get our attention. Maybe procedures should be revised to have the first officer monitor a mechanic on the ground during 'accu park' operations. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he intends to follow through with his suggestions to his chief pilot. A report was filed with company but now he wants to follow through further. He said the mechanic was jumping up and down waving his arms to try and attract their attention but their concentration was on the 'accu park' lights. He stated this was a dc 10 aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB HITS BAGGAGE CART DURING PARKING PROC.

Narrative: WHILE PARKING AT GATE IN ORD, THE #3 ENG INLET IMPACTED A PARKED UNATTENDED CONTAINER LOADER. THE ACFT WAS WITHIN 4 FT OF THE STOP BAR AND THE LOADER DENTED THE LOWER OUTBOARD SECTION (7 O'CLOCK POS) OF THE #3 NACELLE. ACCU PARK WAS IN OP AND BEING USED. THE LOADER WAS PARKED IMPROPERLY YET THE RED LINES DENOTING THE 'DANGER ZONE' WERE WORN AWAY SO AS TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. RED IS A DIFFICULT COLOR TO SEE EVEN WHEN FRESHLY PAINTED. AT SOME STATIONS THE RED IS BORDERED ON EITHER SIDE BY HIGH VISIBILITY WHITE. THIS IS EASIER TO SEE. ADDITIONALLY, THE 'ACCU PARK' SYS PRECLUDES THE CAPT FROM USING THE AVAILABLE EYES ON THE RAMP. OUR MECH SAW THE COLLISION COMING BUT COULD NOT GET OUR ATTN. MAYBE PROCS SHOULD BE REVISED TO HAVE THE FO MONITOR A MECH ON THE GND DURING 'ACCU PARK' OPS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE INTENDS TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH HIS SUGGESTIONS TO HIS CHIEF PLT. A RPT WAS FILED WITH COMPANY BUT NOW HE WANTS TO FOLLOW THROUGH FURTHER. HE SAID THE MECH WAS JUMPING UP AND DOWN WAVING HIS ARMS TO TRY AND ATTRACT THEIR ATTN BUT THEIR CONCENTRATION WAS ON THE 'ACCU PARK' LIGHTS. HE STATED THIS WAS A DC 10 ACFT.

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.