Narrative:

On approaching the gate in dtw, I observed the area clear of obstacles and continued taxiing following the marshaller's hand signals. He was equipped with appropriate wands waved me into the gate to a normal stop. Everything seemed normal including a slow, easy stop signal. After the passenger deplaned, a mechanic came up, and to our surprise told us we had a belt loader with our #1 engine cowling. We did not believe him initially because everything seemed normal. We went to look, and sure enough, the #1 engine cowl was on top of a belt loader. There are no cargo doors on the left side of the aircraft, so I do not know what it was doing on that side anyway. There was another captain on the jumpseat, and he confirmed the area was clear when I was approaching the gate. At some point, I shifted my eyes to follow the marshaller's instructions, and was not looking at the side of the aircraft, however, where contact was made, I do not believe I could possibly have been there while I was taxiing in. The direction it was pointed was as it had approached in a 'left quartering tailwind' direction (angled from rear) and there were skid marks -- long skid marks (10-12 ft long) next to the belt loader. A couple of ideas as to what could have happened. The belt loader could have pulled up into the area after I was watching the marshaller (who did not have the required wing walkers, which I found out later...), or after the jetway blocked my vision in that area. Another idea, I found out that belt loaders have forward, reverse, and neutral -- no park gear. The belt had not been set from the gate next door (there were cargo doors on the right side of the aircraft to the left of me). Nobody fessed up to driving that belt loader (ever).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BAGGAGE BELT LOADER VEHICLE RUNS INTO MLG ENG COWLING AT GATE CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO COWLING.

Narrative: ON APCHING THE GATE IN DTW, I OBSERVED THE AREA CLR OF OBSTACLES AND CONTINUED TAXIING FOLLOWING THE MARSHALLER'S HAND SIGNALS. HE WAS EQUIPPED WITH APPROPRIATE WANDS WAVED ME INTO THE GATE TO A NORMAL STOP. EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL INCLUDING A SLOW, EASY STOP SIGNAL. AFTER THE PAX DEPLANED, A MECH CAME UP, AND TO OUR SURPRISE TOLD US WE HAD A BELT LOADER WITH OUR #1 ENG COWLING. WE DID NOT BELIEVE HIM INITIALLY BECAUSE EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL. WE WENT TO LOOK, AND SURE ENOUGH, THE #1 ENG COWL WAS ON TOP OF A BELT LOADER. THERE ARE NO CARGO DOORS ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT, SO I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS DOING ON THAT SIDE ANYWAY. THERE WAS ANOTHER CAPT ON THE JUMPSEAT, AND HE CONFIRMED THE AREA WAS CLR WHEN I WAS APCHING THE GATE. AT SOME POINT, I SHIFTED MY EYES TO FOLLOW THE MARSHALLER'S INSTRUCTIONS, AND WAS NOT LOOKING AT THE SIDE OF THE ACFT, HOWEVER, WHERE CONTACT WAS MADE, I DO NOT BELIEVE I COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN THERE WHILE I WAS TAXIING IN. THE DIRECTION IT WAS POINTED WAS AS IT HAD APCHED IN A 'L QUARTERING TAILWIND' DIRECTION (ANGLED FROM REAR) AND THERE WERE SKID MARKS -- LONG SKID MARKS (10-12 FT LONG) NEXT TO THE BELT LOADER. A COUPLE OF IDEAS AS TO WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. THE BELT LOADER COULD HAVE PULLED UP INTO THE AREA AFTER I WAS WATCHING THE MARSHALLER (WHO DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED WING WALKERS, WHICH I FOUND OUT LATER...), OR AFTER THE JETWAY BLOCKED MY VISION IN THAT AREA. ANOTHER IDEA, I FOUND OUT THAT BELT LOADERS HAVE FORWARD, REVERSE, AND NEUTRAL -- NO PARK GEAR. THE BELT HAD NOT BEEN SET FROM THE GATE NEXT DOOR (THERE WERE CARGO DOORS ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT TO THE L OF ME). NOBODY FESSED UP TO DRIVING THAT BELT LOADER (EVER).

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.