Narrative:

Incident occurred after pushback from gate at msp. When aircraft was pushed back a reasonable distance the tug ended up on the left side of cockpit at about a 45 degree angle to me. At this point the tug driver stated to me 'baggage carts on right.' I replied 'ok thanks.' before I had a chance to inquire further he disconnected the interphone and began driving away in reverse. When the tug had backed away enough to where I thought he could see the right baggage bin area, I raised my hand to my forehead to initiate the wave-off salute. The marshaller, riding next to the tug driver, raised his hand to his head and responded to my wave-off initiation. At this point the before taxi check was read. I noticed the first officer check right and then I called for taxi clearance. Approximately 10-15 seconds elapsed between receipt of wave-off and aircraft movement. When taxi clearance was received I simultaneously called for flaps 20 degrees and began a turn to the left. As the turn commenced I felt a shudder like the nosewheel skidding and stopped. At this point the flight attendant and a freight air carrier pilot entered and said we had hit a baggage cart. Supplemental information from acn 324809: the pushback was normal, and engines were started as the aircraft was brought to a stop. The tug driver mentioned that a baggage cart had pulled up and more bags were being loaded. He then disconnected. The marshaller, on the tug moving forward off our left front, gave us a wave-off. We ran the before taxi check, got clearance to taxi and began to move forward. We then heard a loud noise and thought perhaps we had blown a tire. A freight air carrier pilot riding in the cabin came forward and told us we had hit a baggage cart. At this time I (first officer) observed a baggage tug with one cart positioned normally and a second on its side approximately even with the cockpit and out about as far as the wingtip. We returned to the gate. On external inspection we determined the right wing vortillon was damaged and the right leading edge was dented. I (first officer) had cleared normally to the right before we moved and had then looked back to the left at the tug driving away. In conversation with the freight air carrier pilot, he stated it would have been impossible to see the baggage cart from inside the cockpit as it was in very close to the fuselage. Apparently, we hit the cart as he tried to drive away. Perceptions: the position of the marshaller prevented him from clearing the right side of the aircraft. The baggage cart was extremely close to aircraft making it impossible to see it from the cockpit.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ACFT WING STRUCK A BAGGAGE CART DURING TAXI FROM THE GATE. THE TUG DRIVER HAD COMMUNICATED THAT THE CARTS WERE PRESENT, BUT THE FO DID NOT SEE THE CARTS WHILE CLRING THE R, PRIOR TO TAXI. THE MARSHALLER ALLEGEDLY GAVE THE FLC A WAVE-OFF SALUTE BEFORE THE WING STRUCK THE CART.

Narrative: INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER PUSHBACK FROM GATE AT MSP. WHEN ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK A REASONABLE DISTANCE THE TUG ENDED UP ON THE L SIDE OF COCKPIT AT ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE TO ME. AT THIS POINT THE TUG DRIVER STATED TO ME 'BAGGAGE CARTS ON R.' I REPLIED 'OK THANKS.' BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO INQUIRE FURTHER HE DISCONNECTED THE INTERPHONE AND BEGAN DRIVING AWAY IN REVERSE. WHEN THE TUG HAD BACKED AWAY ENOUGH TO WHERE I THOUGHT HE COULD SEE THE R BAGGAGE BIN AREA, I RAISED MY HAND TO MY FOREHEAD TO INITIATE THE WAVE-OFF SALUTE. THE MARSHALLER, RIDING NEXT TO THE TUG DRIVER, RAISED HIS HAND TO HIS HEAD AND RESPONDED TO MY WAVE-OFF INITIATION. AT THIS POINT THE BEFORE TAXI CHK WAS READ. I NOTICED THE FO CHK RIGHT AND THEN I CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC. APPROX 10-15 SECONDS ELAPSED BTWN RECEIPT OF WAVE-OFF AND ACFT MOVEMENT. WHEN TAXI CLRNC WAS RECEIVED I SIMULTANEOUSLY CALLED FOR FLAPS 20 DEGS AND BEGAN A TURN TO THE L. AS THE TURN COMMENCED I FELT A SHUDDER LIKE THE NOSEWHEEL SKIDDING AND STOPPED. AT THIS POINT THE FLT ATTENDANT AND A FREIGHT ACR PLT ENTERED AND SAID WE HAD HIT A BAGGAGE CART. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 324809: THE PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL, AND ENGS WERE STARTED AS THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP. THE TUG DRIVER MENTIONED THAT A BAGGAGE CART HAD PULLED UP AND MORE BAGS WERE BEING LOADED. HE THEN DISCONNECTED. THE MARSHALLER, ON THE TUG MOVING FORWARD OFF OUR L FRONT, GAVE US A WAVE-OFF. WE RAN THE BEFORE TAXI CHK, GOT CLRNC TO TAXI AND BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD. WE THEN HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THOUGHT PERHAPS WE HAD BLOWN A TIRE. A FREIGHT ACR PLT RIDING IN THE CABIN CAME FORWARD AND TOLD US WE HAD HIT A BAGGAGE CART. AT THIS TIME I (FO) OBSERVED A BAGGAGE TUG WITH ONE CART POSITIONED NORMALLY AND A SECOND ON ITS SIDE APPROX EVEN WITH THE COCKPIT AND OUT ABOUT AS FAR AS THE WINGTIP. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. ON EXTERNAL INSPECTION WE DETERMINED THE R WING VORTILLON WAS DAMAGED AND THE R LEADING EDGE WAS DENTED. I (FO) HAD CLRED NORMALLY TO THE R BEFORE WE MOVED AND HAD THEN LOOKED BACK TO THE L AT THE TUG DRIVING AWAY. IN CONVERSATION WITH THE FREIGHT ACR PLT, HE STATED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE BAGGAGE CART FROM INSIDE THE COCKPIT AS IT WAS IN VERY CLOSE TO THE FUSELAGE. APPARENTLY, WE HIT THE CART AS HE TRIED TO DRIVE AWAY. PERCEPTIONS: THE POS OF THE MARSHALLER PREVENTED HIM FROM CLRING THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. THE BAGGAGE CART WAS EXTREMELY CLOSE TO ACFT MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE IT 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.