Narrative:

I was assigned gate at bwi upon completion of flight. It was my leg. After the marshaller was positioned at the 'T' and was cleared by ramp I proceeded to the gate. Two baggage personnel were standing in front of a baggage cart that was parked along the wall to the left of the aircraft. The marshaller was positioned at the 'T'. I proceeded in slowly then started to turn 180 degrees to the right. I looked at the left wing tip and baggage cart. It looked close but looked like it would pass. I looked at the marshaller and he was still signaling to keep coming around. I proceeded slowly glancing back and forth. During this time the baggage personnel were standing at the same spot looking at the cart and appearing unconcerned so I continued to follow the marshaller when the wing tip contacted the baggage cart. The baggage personnel signaled to stop then the marshaller. The cart was moved and aircraft parked normally. Afterwards I was informed that baggage personnel at bwi are not allowed to signal a parking aircraft. In retrospect I should not have assumed the baggage personnel would signal and that the marshaller knew what he was doing. Next time the cart will be removed before attempting gate. I previously mentioned to the director of light transport operations and baggage personnel that the gate is too tight. If the ramp is contaminated and the nose wheel steering does not release it is impossible to park there. Also the marshaller assumes that the light transport turns like an light transport B or mdt aircraft, when in reality the light transport west/O power steering is not nearly as maneuverable. This was not at all intentional and damage was limited to a lens cover at the end of the left wing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT STRIKES WINGTIP ON BAGGAGE CART WHILE PARKING AT GATE.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED GATE AT BWI UPON COMPLETION OF FLT. IT WAS MY LEG. AFTER THE MARSHALLER WAS POSITIONED AT THE 'T' AND WAS CLRED BY RAMP I PROCEEDED TO THE GATE. TWO BAGGAGE PERSONNEL WERE STANDING IN FRONT OF A BAGGAGE CART THAT WAS PARKED ALONG THE WALL TO THE L OF THE ACFT. THE MARSHALLER WAS POSITIONED AT THE 'T'. I PROCEEDED IN SLOWLY THEN STARTED TO TURN 180 DEGS TO THE R. I LOOKED AT THE L WING TIP AND BAGGAGE CART. IT LOOKED CLOSE BUT LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD PASS. I LOOKED AT THE MARSHALLER AND HE WAS STILL SIGNALING TO KEEP COMING AROUND. I PROCEEDED SLOWLY GLANCING BACK AND FORTH. DURING THIS TIME THE BAGGAGE PERSONNEL WERE STANDING AT THE SAME SPOT LOOKING AT THE CART AND APPEARING UNCONCERNED SO I CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE MARSHALLER WHEN THE WING TIP CONTACTED THE BAGGAGE CART. THE BAGGAGE PERSONNEL SIGNALED TO STOP THEN THE MARSHALLER. THE CART WAS MOVED AND ACFT PARKED NORMALLY. AFTERWARDS I WAS INFORMED THAT BAGGAGE PERSONNEL AT BWI ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SIGNAL A PARKING ACFT. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASSUMED THE BAGGAGE PERSONNEL WOULD SIGNAL AND THAT THE MARSHALLER KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING. NEXT TIME THE CART WILL BE REMOVED BEFORE ATTEMPTING GATE. I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED TO THE DIRECTOR OF LTT OPS AND BAGGAGE PERSONNEL THAT THE GATE IS TOO TIGHT. IF THE RAMP IS CONTAMINATED AND THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING DOES NOT RELEASE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PARK THERE. ALSO THE MARSHALLER ASSUMES THAT THE LTT TURNS LIKE AN LTT B OR MDT ACFT, WHEN IN REALITY THE LTT W/O PWR STEERING IS NOT NEARLY AS MANEUVERABLE. THIS WAS NOT AT ALL INTENTIONAL AND DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A LENS COVER AT THE END OF THE L WING.

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.