Narrative:

Flight entered ramp for gate. Ramp was dark and wet. Aircraft was guided into gate by flag man. The gate area appeared clear of obstructions as we turned onto the lead-in line. The signaling and parking appeared normal. During postflt inspection found damage to left engine nose cowl. Damage to the nose cowl appeared to have been caused by contact with a baggage cart. Cockpit crew reported as ordered for drug/alcohol test. Supplemental information from acn 361207: during the final phase of aircraft parking, the left engine nacelle was punctured by a baggage cart. The baggage cart was parked approximately 4 ft into the 'no parking' zone, as designated by the white lines painted on the tarmac. The aircraft was being marshalled into position and was stopped on centerline and at the exact stop line for the nose wheel. This incident could have been prevented with better line markings, additional wing walkers, a more conscientious baggage cart driver, and better visibility for the marshaller (his view was partially obstructed by the jetway). Callback conversation with reporter of acn 361613 revealed the following information: reporter stated that he is fairly new on the B757 and could not judge any aircraft distance from ground equipment if he had to. The baggage cart, improperly parked, was hidden behind a vehicle that was properly parked. The line marking was old, dingy and dirty. The mechanic who was marshalling the aircraft admitted error in parking aircraft. He didn't see the misparked cart. The maintenance supervisor placed the mechanic on 3 days leave without pay, pending his drug inspection analysis. The flight crew did not feel 'put out' by being subjected to a drug test. However, the pilot union representatives had objected after the test. The chief pilot was on a skiing trip and apologized later for the action taken by his junior assistant who made that decision. The pilots were placed back on a trip the next day, although their flight was canceled that evening, it being a through flight on the way to the west. The air carrier has since repainted the lines and moved them so that equipment view is not blocked to the marshaller. The air carrier is also using two mechanics to bring the aircraft in, 1 at a displaced distance to better observe equipment and coordinate with the marshaller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 HITS L ENG ON BAGGAGE CART DURING RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC.

Narrative: FLT ENTERED RAMP FOR GATE. RAMP WAS DARK AND WET. ACFT WAS GUIDED INTO GATE BY FLAG MAN. THE GATE AREA APPEARED CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS AS WE TURNED ONTO THE LEAD-IN LINE. THE SIGNALING AND PARKING APPEARED NORMAL. DURING POSTFLT INSPECTION FOUND DAMAGE TO L ENG NOSE COWL. DAMAGE TO THE NOSE COWL APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY CONTACT WITH A BAGGAGE CART. COCKPIT CREW RPTED AS ORDERED FOR DRUG/ALCOHOL TEST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 361207: DURING THE FINAL PHASE OF ACFT PARKING, THE L ENG NACELLE WAS PUNCTURED BY A BAGGAGE CART. THE BAGGAGE CART WAS PARKED APPROX 4 FT INTO THE 'NO PARKING' ZONE, AS DESIGNATED BY THE WHITE LINES PAINTED ON THE TARMAC. THE ACFT WAS BEING MARSHALLED INTO POS AND WAS STOPPED ON CTRLINE AND AT THE EXACT STOP LINE FOR THE NOSE WHEEL. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WITH BETTER LINE MARKINGS, ADDITIONAL WING WALKERS, A MORE CONSCIENTIOUS BAGGAGE CART DRIVER, AND BETTER VISIBILITY FOR THE MARSHALLER (HIS VIEW WAS PARTIALLY OBSTRUCTED BY THE JETWAY). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR OF ACN 361613 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE IS FAIRLY NEW ON THE B757 AND COULD NOT JUDGE ANY ACFT DISTANCE FROM GND EQUIP IF HE HAD TO. THE BAGGAGE CART, IMPROPERLY PARKED, WAS HIDDEN BEHIND A VEHICLE THAT WAS PROPERLY PARKED. THE LINE MARKING WAS OLD, DINGY AND DIRTY. THE MECH WHO WAS MARSHALLING THE ACFT ADMITTED ERROR IN PARKING ACFT. HE DIDN'T SEE THE MISPARKED CART. THE MAINT SUPVR PLACED THE MECH ON 3 DAYS LEAVE WITHOUT PAY, PENDING HIS DRUG INSPECTION ANALYSIS. THE FLC DID NOT FEEL 'PUT OUT' BY BEING SUBJECTED TO A DRUG TEST. HOWEVER, THE PLT UNION REPRESENTATIVES HAD OBJECTED AFTER THE TEST. THE CHIEF PLT WAS ON A SKIING TRIP AND APOLOGIZED LATER FOR THE ACTION TAKEN BY HIS JUNIOR ASSISTANT WHO MADE THAT DECISION. THE PLTS WERE PLACED BACK ON A TRIP THE NEXT DAY, ALTHOUGH THEIR FLT WAS CANCELED THAT EVENING, IT BEING A THROUGH FLT ON THE WAY TO THE W. THE ACR HAS SINCE REPAINTED THE LINES AND MOVED THEM SO THAT EQUIP VIEW IS NOT BLOCKED TO THE MARSHALLER. THE ACR IS ALSO USING TWO MECHS TO BRING THE ACFT IN, 1 AT A DISPLACED DISTANCE TO BETTER OBSERVE EQUIP AND COORDINATE WITH THE MARSHALLER.

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.