An air carrier light transport hit a baggage cart with one of its ventral strakes.

Attributes
ACN	264094
Time
Date	199402
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
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	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	264094
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft struck baggage cart during turn out from the gate. Baggage cart was stalled and would not restart. Unable to see from the cockpit if baggage carts are clear. After the agent gave us the count, she gave no indication there was a baggage cart behind aircraft. Cargo door was shut 1-2 mins prior to starting the #1 engine and 3-4 mins prior to taxi. Cause of the problem -- aircraft are not marshalled in or out of the gates. Commuter operations in pit are being handled by new inexperienced personnel. The crew of the aircraft have no way of telling where the baggage carts or personnel are. The situation could have been avoided if we were marshalled in and out of the gates. Baggage personnel should come to the front of the aircraft to give the crew a clear signal before leaving. In this situation, if the agent that gave us the count had informed us the baggage cart was still behind the aircraft. Damage to aircraft unknown to crew until after returning to the gate. Damage was to ventral strake.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT HIT A BAGGAGE CART WITH ONE OF ITS VENTRAL STRAKES.

Narrative: ACFT STRUCK BAGGAGE CART DURING TURN OUT FROM THE GATE. BAGGAGE CART WAS STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. UNABLE TO SEE FROM THE COCKPIT IF BAGGAGE CARTS ARE CLR. AFTER THE AGENT GAVE US THE COUNT, SHE GAVE NO INDICATION THERE WAS A BAGGAGE CART BEHIND ACFT. CARGO DOOR WAS SHUT 1-2 MINS PRIOR TO STARTING THE #1 ENG AND 3-4 MINS PRIOR TO TAXI. CAUSE OF THE PROB -- ACFT ARE NOT MARSHALLED IN OR OUT OF THE GATES. COMMUTER OPS IN PIT ARE BEING HANDLED BY NEW INEXPERIENCED PERSONNEL. THE CREW OF THE ACFT HAVE NO WAY OF TELLING WHERE THE BAGGAGE CARTS OR PERSONNEL ARE. THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE WERE MARSHALLED IN AND OUT OF THE GATES. BAGGAGE PERSONNEL SHOULD COME TO THE FRONT OF THE ACFT TO GIVE THE CREW A CLR SIGNAL BEFORE LEAVING. IN THIS SIT, IF THE AGENT THAT GAVE US THE COUNT HAD INFORMED US THE BAGGAGE CART WAS STILL BEHIND THE ACFT. DAMAGE TO ACFT UNKNOWN TO CREW UNTIL AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE. DAMAGE WAS TO VENTRAL STRAKE.

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.