Narrative:

We entered the airlines ramp area at the south end of terminal at dfw airport. We taxied the aircraft towards gate in a normal manner. There is always numerous ground vehicles moving on the ramp and near the airplanes. We kept a watchful eye out as we turned in towards gate. As we turned on to the lead in line, we focused our attention on the guideman directing us to come ahead. All indications were normal. At about 4-6' short of the stopping position, the guideman gave us an abrupt stop signal. We stopped the aircraft, parked the brake, and proceeded with the normal shutdown checklist, believing we were in the normal parking position. After a few mins the ground personnel advised us that the left wing of the aircraft had contacted a cargo loaded. Because we were parked short of the normal position, the jet bridge would not align properly with the airplane's front door, so the passenger were told to exit out the rear airstairs of the airplane. There was no jolt when contact was made, and nobody on board the airplane knew of the contact of the cargo loaded until ground personnel advised us. There was damage to the left leading edge of the wing and some damage to the loader. There were no injuries. Apparently the ground crew did not properly clear the area around the gate. It is my belief that the ground crews at dfw deal with so much congestion on the ramp and around aircraft that they are immune to close calls. It appears they are complacent in their duties because they see so much of this kind of situation everyday. Corrective action possibilities: supplemental information from acn 127304: very congested ramp with a great deal of vehicle traffic has led to lax attitude by both pilots and guidemen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEFT WINGTIP OF ACR LGT STRUCK A BAGGAGE LOADER WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE UNDER CGP DIRECTION.

Narrative: WE ENTERED THE AIRLINES RAMP AREA AT THE SOUTH END OF TERMINAL AT DFW ARPT. WE TAXIED THE ACFT TOWARDS GATE IN A NORMAL MANNER. THERE IS ALWAYS NUMEROUS GND VEHICLES MOVING ON THE RAMP AND NEAR THE AIRPLANES. WE KEPT A WATCHFUL EYE OUT AS WE TURNED IN TOWARDS GATE. AS WE TURNED ON TO THE LEAD IN LINE, WE FOCUSED OUR ATTN ON THE GUIDEMAN DIRECTING US TO COME AHEAD. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. AT ABOUT 4-6' SHORT OF THE STOPPING POSITION, THE GUIDEMAN GAVE US AN ABRUPT STOP SIGNAL. WE STOPPED THE ACFT, PARKED THE BRAKE, AND PROCEEDED WITH THE NORMAL SHUTDOWN CHECKLIST, BELIEVING WE WERE IN THE NORMAL PARKING POSITION. AFTER A FEW MINS THE GND PERSONNEL ADVISED US THAT THE LEFT WING OF THE ACFT HAD CONTACTED A CARGO LOADED. BECAUSE WE WERE PARKED SHORT OF THE NORMAL POSITION, THE JET BRIDGE WOULD NOT ALIGN PROPERLY WITH THE AIRPLANE'S FRONT DOOR, SO THE PAX WERE TOLD TO EXIT OUT THE REAR AIRSTAIRS OF THE AIRPLANE. THERE WAS NO JOLT WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE, AND NOBODY ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE KNEW OF THE CONTACT OF THE CARGO LOADED UNTIL GND PERSONNEL ADVISED US. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE LEFT LEADING EDGE OF THE WING AND SOME DAMAGE TO THE LOADER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. APPARENTLY THE GND CREW DID NOT PROPERLY CLEAR THE AREA AROUND THE GATE. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE GND CREWS AT DFW DEAL WITH SO MUCH CONGESTION ON THE RAMP AND AROUND ACFT THAT THEY ARE IMMUNE TO CLOSE CALLS. IT APPEARS THEY ARE COMPLACENT IN THEIR DUTIES BECAUSE THEY SEE SO MUCH OF THIS KIND OF SITUATION EVERYDAY. CORRECTIVE ACTION POSSIBILITIES: SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 127304: VERY CONGESTED RAMP WITH A GREAT DEAL OF VEHICLE TFC HAS LED TO LAX ATTITUDE BY BOTH PLTS AND GUIDEMEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.