Medium large transport taxiing to gate with signalman is hit by baggage cart.

Attributes
ACN	249212
Time
Date	199308
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	249212
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At the end of flight we were cleared into gate by ramp control. We were being marshalled into the gate by a signalman. After clearing the right side with the first officer, I checked the area for proper clearance and began to taxi in on the taxi line under the signalman's guidance. We were within 3 ft or less of stopping at the jetway when we felt a slight bump. The signalman gave us the engines cut signal. He then hooked up the tow bar and a tug. He then got on the interphone and said a baggage cart had struck us on the left side at the leading edge of the wing near the end of the wing. They would move us back a little and then forward again to the jetway position. I had signaled the passenger to get up by turning off the seat belt sign when he said to cut engines. I put the seat belt sign back on, made an announcement to the cabin and when I was told they were all again seated, I told the mechanics to move the aircraft. They moved us back a little (2 ft) and back forward into proper position for the jetway. The jetway was brought into position and the passenger deplaned without incident. The leading edge device was slightly damaged. The entire left side was out of my sight when contact occurred and I was concentrating on the signals I was receiving to taxi into the gate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG TAXIING TO GATE WITH SIGNALMAN IS HIT BY BAGGAGE CART.

Narrative: AT THE END OF FLT WE WERE CLRED INTO GATE BY RAMP CTL. WE WERE BEING MARSHALLED INTO THE GATE BY A SIGNALMAN. AFTER CLRING THE R SIDE WITH THE FO, I CHKED THE AREA FOR PROPER CLRNC AND BEGAN TO TAXI IN ON THE TAXI LINE UNDER THE SIGNALMAN'S GUIDANCE. WE WERE WITHIN 3 FT OR LESS OF STOPPING AT THE JETWAY WHEN WE FELT A SLIGHT BUMP. THE SIGNALMAN GAVE US THE ENGS CUT SIGNAL. HE THEN HOOKED UP THE TOW BAR AND A TUG. HE THEN GOT ON THE INTERPHONE AND SAID A BAGGAGE CART HAD STRUCK US ON THE L SIDE AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING NEAR THE END OF THE WING. THEY WOULD MOVE US BACK A LITTLE AND THEN FORWARD AGAIN TO THE JETWAY POS. I HAD SIGNALED THE PAX TO GET UP BY TURNING OFF THE SEAT BELT SIGN WHEN HE SAID TO CUT ENGS. I PUT THE SEAT BELT SIGN BACK ON, MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE CABIN AND WHEN I WAS TOLD THEY WERE ALL AGAIN SEATED, I TOLD THE MECHS TO MOVE THE ACFT. THEY MOVED US BACK A LITTLE (2 FT) AND BACK FORWARD INTO PROPER POS FOR THE JETWAY. THE JETWAY WAS BROUGHT INTO POS AND THE PAX DEPLANED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE LEADING EDGE DEVICE WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED. THE ENTIRE L SIDE WAS OUT OF MY SIGHT WHEN CONTACT OCCURRED AND I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE SIGNALS I WAS RECEIVING TO TAXI INTO THE GATE.

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.