Narrative:

I taxied the aircraft in accordance to instructions, taxi line and marshaller's signals. Both the copilot and I cleared the area as we taxied in. The marshaller stopped us 3-5' short of our spot and went toward the left side of the aircraft. He then returned and marshalled us to the parking spot. I opened the sliding captain's window and asked him what happened. He said I had hit a belt loader with the #1 engine. We parked the aircraft and ran the checklist and made our calls over VHF company frequency. I surveyed the damage and briefed all the appropriate personnel I could think of. I was debriefed by an inspector from the FAA out of la. I believe the most important factor is that the safety lines are yellow bordered by white lines on either side. The competing air carrier's baggage carts are white and they were next to the safety zone. The baggage loader is also white with a yellow horizontal stripe and was in front of other baggage carts, but was inside the safety zone. It was parked parallel to the safety line and blended so as to make the line appear continuous. The ground people should have assured the area was clear, but I feel that if either the lines or the belt loader were not the same color, the incident may have been prevented.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW HITS COMPETING ACR'S BELT LOADER AT GATE AT LAX.

Narrative: I TAXIED THE ACFT IN ACCORDANCE TO INSTRUCTIONS, TAXI LINE AND MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS. BOTH THE COPLT AND I CLRED THE AREA AS WE TAXIED IN. THE MARSHALLER STOPPED US 3-5' SHORT OF OUR SPOT AND WENT TOWARD THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ACFT. HE THEN RETURNED AND MARSHALLED US TO THE PARKING SPOT. I OPENED THE SLIDING CAPT'S WINDOW AND ASKED HIM WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID I HAD HIT A BELT LOADER WITH THE #1 ENG. WE PARKED THE ACFT AND RAN THE CHKLIST AND MADE OUR CALLS OVER VHF COMPANY FREQ. I SURVEYED THE DAMAGE AND BRIEFED ALL THE APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL I COULD THINK OF. I WAS DEBRIEFED BY AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FAA OUT OF LA. I BELIEVE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IS THAT THE SAFETY LINES ARE YELLOW BORDERED BY WHITE LINES ON EITHER SIDE. THE COMPETING ACR'S BAGGAGE CARTS ARE WHITE AND THEY WERE NEXT TO THE SAFETY ZONE. THE BAGGAGE LOADER IS ALSO WHITE WITH A YELLOW HORIZ STRIPE AND WAS IN FRONT OF OTHER BAGGAGE CARTS, BUT WAS INSIDE THE SAFETY ZONE. IT WAS PARKED PARALLEL TO THE SAFETY LINE AND BLENDED SO AS TO MAKE THE LINE APPEAR CONTINUOUS. THE GND PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE ASSURED THE AREA WAS CLR, BUT I FEEL THAT IF EITHER THE LINES OR THE BELT LOADER WERE NOT THE SAME COLOR, THE INCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.

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.