Narrative:

Normal pushback by ground crew. After displaying the bypass pin; marshaller saluted and waived us out. Last I saw any of the ground crew; they were walking back towards the terminal well clear of our aircraft. 2-3 mins passed as the captain and I ran checklists; discussed our bleeds off confign for takeoff; requested taxi clearance and verified with each other on the 10-9 our cleared taxi route. Captain called for takeoff flap setting and we both visually cleared our respective sides of the aircraft. As the captain began to taxi; I felt an abnormal thump and vibration. Shortly after this; I observed a marshaller positioning himself in front of the aircraft signaling to stop. After a brief delay; ground crew signaled us to shut down the #2 engine. We did not know what had happened until I eventually opened my window and looked out and back. It was then that I observed that we had struck a belt loader with the #2 engine nacelle. During the time between wave-off and the incident; there was no observed ground crew/equipment or activity anywhere near our aircraft. Location of incident was well out on the ramp; almost to the taxiway. To our knowledge; there were no additional bags or cargo to be loaded (ie; I have no idea what a belt loader was doing that far out on the ramp).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER A PROPER RELEASE FOR TAXI FROM THE MARSHALLER; FLT CREW OF B737 STRIKE A BELT LOADER APPARENTLY UNTENDED AND UNNOTICED BY THE MARSHALLER.

Narrative: NORMAL PUSHBACK BY GND CREW. AFTER DISPLAYING THE BYPASS PIN; MARSHALLER SALUTED AND WAIVED US OUT. LAST I SAW ANY OF THE GND CREW; THEY WERE WALKING BACK TOWARDS THE TERMINAL WELL CLR OF OUR ACFT. 2-3 MINS PASSED AS THE CAPT AND I RAN CHKLISTS; DISCUSSED OUR BLEEDS OFF CONFIGN FOR TKOF; REQUESTED TAXI CLRNC AND VERIFIED WITH EACH OTHER ON THE 10-9 OUR CLRED TAXI RTE. CAPT CALLED FOR TKOF FLAP SETTING AND WE BOTH VISUALLY CLRED OUR RESPECTIVE SIDES OF THE ACFT. AS THE CAPT BEGAN TO TAXI; I FELT AN ABNORMAL THUMP AND VIBRATION. SHORTLY AFTER THIS; I OBSERVED A MARSHALLER POSITIONING HIMSELF IN FRONT OF THE ACFT SIGNALING TO STOP. AFTER A BRIEF DELAY; GND CREW SIGNALED US TO SHUT DOWN THE #2 ENG. WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED UNTIL I EVENTUALLY OPENED MY WINDOW AND LOOKED OUT AND BACK. IT WAS THEN THAT I OBSERVED THAT WE HAD STRUCK A BELT LOADER WITH THE #2 ENG NACELLE. DURING THE TIME BTWN WAVE-OFF AND THE INCIDENT; THERE WAS NO OBSERVED GND CREW/EQUIP OR ACTIVITY ANYWHERE NEAR OUR ACFT. LOCATION OF INCIDENT WAS WELL OUT ON THE RAMP; ALMOST TO THE TXWY. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE; THERE WERE NO ADDITIONAL BAGS OR CARGO TO BE LOADED (IE; I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A BELT LOADER WAS DOING THAT FAR OUT ON THE RAMP).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.