An air carrier medium large transport taxiing into the gate with marshaller's and wing walker's assi...

Attributes
ACN	415147
Time
Date	199809
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 285 flight time total : 3050 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	415147
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Arrived at gate with no personnel to marshall aircraft in. Captain set parking brake while a passing tug driver stopped, prepared gate, and took position to guide us in. Meanwhile, bags were being xferred between 2 bag carts off the left side of the aircraft. Marshaller gave signal to taxi forward. Captain released parking brake and followed marshaller's instructions to taxi. 2 other personnel in gate area gave 'thumbs up' signal indicating left wing clearance with parked baggage cart. I then scanned right to ensure right wing clearance. Aircraft stopped suddenly. I looked forward to see marshaller directing an emergency stop with a surprised look on his face. Captain looked far left to see baggage handlers emphatically indicating emergency stop with crossed arms. Apparently, the left winglet contacted the baggage cart during aircraft's movement to the gate. The marshaller was unaware of left wing proximity to baggage cart. This was due to attention focused on ctring the nosewheel on the parking mark. Baggage cart was removed, aircraft was parked, and the passenger deplaned without incident. Human factors include: 1) poor communication between ground crew in noisy ramp area. 2) marshaller's focus on aircraft's nosewheel, not on aircraft's position relative to environment. 3) marshaller's responsibility to stop aircraft on mark and be aware of aircraft clrncs with respect to ground equipment. I feel a 2 marshaller system, where 1 stands behind the other, 1 to guide aircraft, 1 to assure clrncs would prevent a recurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG TAXIING INTO THE GATE WITH MARSHALLER'S AND WING WALKER'S ASSISTANCE HITS A MISPARKED BAGGAGE CART WITH ITS WINGLET.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT GATE WITH NO PERSONNEL TO MARSHALL ACFT IN. CAPT SET PARKING BRAKE WHILE A PASSING TUG DRIVER STOPPED, PREPARED GATE, AND TOOK POS TO GUIDE US IN. MEANWHILE, BAGS WERE BEING XFERRED BTWN 2 BAG CARTS OFF THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. MARSHALLER GAVE SIGNAL TO TAXI FORWARD. CAPT RELEASED PARKING BRAKE AND FOLLOWED MARSHALLER'S INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI. 2 OTHER PERSONNEL IN GATE AREA GAVE 'THUMBS UP' SIGNAL INDICATING L WING CLRNC WITH PARKED BAGGAGE CART. I THEN SCANNED R TO ENSURE R WING CLRNC. ACFT STOPPED SUDDENLY. I LOOKED FORWARD TO SEE MARSHALLER DIRECTING AN EMER STOP WITH A SURPRISED LOOK ON HIS FACE. CAPT LOOKED FAR L TO SEE BAGGAGE HANDLERS EMPHATICALLY INDICATING EMER STOP WITH CROSSED ARMS. APPARENTLY, THE L WINGLET CONTACTED THE BAGGAGE CART DURING ACFT'S MOVEMENT TO THE GATE. THE MARSHALLER WAS UNAWARE OF L WING PROX TO BAGGAGE CART. THIS WAS DUE TO ATTN FOCUSED ON CTRING THE NOSEWHEEL ON THE PARKING MARK. BAGGAGE CART WAS REMOVED, ACFT WAS PARKED, AND THE PAX DEPLANED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HUMAN FACTORS INCLUDE: 1) POOR COM BTWN GND CREW IN NOISY RAMP AREA. 2) MARSHALLER'S FOCUS ON ACFT'S NOSEWHEEL, NOT ON ACFT'S POS RELATIVE TO ENVIRONMENT. 3) MARSHALLER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO STOP ACFT ON MARK AND BE AWARE OF ACFT CLRNCS WITH RESPECT TO GND EQUIP. I FEEL A 2 MARSHALLER SYS, WHERE 1 STANDS BEHIND THE OTHER, 1 TO GUIDE ACFT, 1 TO ASSURE CLRNCS WOULD PREVENT A RECURRENCE.

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.

An air carrier medium large transport taxiing into the gate with marshaller's and wing walker's assistance hits a misparked baggage cart with its winglet.