Narrative:

During parking at the gate; I was slowly moving in with the aircraft following the taxi director's signals when I felt something odd almost like when the mains cross over a seam in the pavement. I stopped the aircraft for a moment; but the taxi director continued to motion us forward a few more ft which we did. During the de-boarding process; a company first officer that had been deadheading in the back; stuck his head up in the cockpit and asked us if we knew that we had hit a baggage cart with the left wingtip. At this point it became clear to me that what I had felt earlier had been this; versus a seam in the pavement. Upon postflt inspection; we found a tear in some tape on that winglet where the cart could have brushed it; but no other damage (scratch marks; etc) were visible to us. I asked the person that marshaled us in if she was aware we had hit something and she was not. The only wing walker of this gate had been on the other side of the aircraft. One person had witnessed it outside; but hadn't said anything to anyone until confronted and then initially denied it had happened until we told them of the deadheading first officer who had witnessed it from inside. I checked to make sure the aircraft was centered on the taxi line and it was; and then also checked from the marshaller's viewpoint; the left wingtip. I discovered that there was no way that a marshaller could have seen that wingtip due to the position of the jetbridge at this gate. Furthermore; if there had been a wing walker on that side; that person and their signals would have been difficult; it not impossible to see by the marshaller due to a jetbridge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARJ STRIKES BAGGAGE CART WHILE PARKING WITH MARSHALLER GUIDANCE.

Narrative: DURING PARKING AT THE GATE; I WAS SLOWLY MOVING IN WITH THE ACFT FOLLOWING THE TAXI DIRECTOR'S SIGNALS WHEN I FELT SOMETHING ODD ALMOST LIKE WHEN THE MAINS CROSS OVER A SEAM IN THE PAVEMENT. I STOPPED THE ACFT FOR A MOMENT; BUT THE TAXI DIRECTOR CONTINUED TO MOTION US FORWARD A FEW MORE FT WHICH WE DID. DURING THE DE-BOARDING PROCESS; A COMPANY FO THAT HAD BEEN DEADHEADING IN THE BACK; STUCK HIS HEAD UP IN THE COCKPIT AND ASKED US IF WE KNEW THAT WE HAD HIT A BAGGAGE CART WITH THE L WINGTIP. AT THIS POINT IT BECAME CLR TO ME THAT WHAT I HAD FELT EARLIER HAD BEEN THIS; VERSUS A SEAM IN THE PAVEMENT. UPON POSTFLT INSPECTION; WE FOUND A TEAR IN SOME TAPE ON THAT WINGLET WHERE THE CART COULD HAVE BRUSHED IT; BUT NO OTHER DAMAGE (SCRATCH MARKS; ETC) WERE VISIBLE TO US. I ASKED THE PERSON THAT MARSHALED US IN IF SHE WAS AWARE WE HAD HIT SOMETHING AND SHE WAS NOT. THE ONLY WING WALKER OF THIS GATE HAD BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ACFT. ONE PERSON HAD WITNESSED IT OUTSIDE; BUT HADN'T SAID ANYTHING TO ANYONE UNTIL CONFRONTED AND THEN INITIALLY DENIED IT HAD HAPPENED UNTIL WE TOLD THEM OF THE DEADHEADING FO WHO HAD WITNESSED IT FROM INSIDE. I CHKED TO MAKE SURE THE ACFT WAS CTRED ON THE TAXI LINE AND IT WAS; AND THEN ALSO CHKED FROM THE MARSHALLER'S VIEWPOINT; THE L WINGTIP. I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT A MARSHALLER COULD HAVE SEEN THAT WINGTIP DUE TO THE POS OF THE JETBRIDGE AT THIS GATE. FURTHERMORE; IF THERE HAD BEEN A WING WALKER ON THAT SIDE; THAT PERSON AND THEIR SIGNALS WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT; IT NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE BY THE MARSHALLER DUE TO A JETBRIDGE.

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.