Narrative:

Aircraft sustained damage to left engine nacelle when it struck a baggage cart while parking at gate. Approaching the gate area a distinct, thick red line was evident and was interpreted as the clearance line behind which ground equipment should be parked. All ground equipment was behind this line. 3 marshallers were present, one at each wingtip and one in front of the aircraft. All continued to give the signal to proceed -- at no time did they give a signal to stop. During the last 20 ft of taxi the jetway prevented the captain from seeing out the left window. Subsequent walkaround revealed the aircraft had struck a belt loader causing 2 inch cut in left engine nacelle. A very faint, worn yellow line was painted on the ground but had not been visible from aircraft. The belt loader was parked inside this line. There exists no standard for clearance lines at gate areas. Some airports have red lines, some yellow, some white, some are thick, some very thin. Many airports have no lines at all. At this particular gate, the yellow clearance line needs to be repainted. The ground personnel involved need to be retrained as they directed the aircraft into parked equipment in a situation where captain could not see the equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WITH 3 MARSHALLERS DIRECTING RPTR CAPT INTO THE GATE AND THE FINAL 20 FT VISIBILITY RESTR BY JETWAY, ACFT HIT BELT LOADER WHICH WAS PARKED OUTSIDE LINED AREA.

Narrative: ACFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO L ENG NACELLE WHEN IT STRUCK A BAGGAGE CART WHILE PARKING AT GATE. APCHING THE GATE AREA A DISTINCT, THICK RED LINE WAS EVIDENT AND WAS INTERPRETED AS THE CLRNC LINE BEHIND WHICH GND EQUIP SHOULD BE PARKED. ALL GND EQUIP WAS BEHIND THIS LINE. 3 MARSHALLERS WERE PRESENT, ONE AT EACH WINGTIP AND ONE IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. ALL CONTINUED TO GIVE THE SIGNAL TO PROCEED -- AT NO TIME DID THEY GIVE A SIGNAL TO STOP. DURING THE LAST 20 FT OF TAXI THE JETWAY PREVENTED THE CAPT FROM SEEING OUT THE L WINDOW. SUBSEQUENT WALKAROUND REVEALED THE ACFT HAD STRUCK A BELT LOADER CAUSING 2 INCH CUT IN L ENG NACELLE. A VERY FAINT, WORN YELLOW LINE WAS PAINTED ON THE GND BUT HAD NOT BEEN VISIBLE FROM ACFT. THE BELT LOADER WAS PARKED INSIDE THIS LINE. THERE EXISTS NO STANDARD FOR CLRNC LINES AT GATE AREAS. SOME ARPTS HAVE RED LINES, SOME YELLOW, SOME WHITE, SOME ARE THICK, SOME VERY THIN. MANY ARPTS HAVE NO LINES AT ALL. AT THIS PARTICULAR GATE, THE YELLOW CLRNC LINE NEEDS TO BE REPAINTED. THE GND PERSONNEL INVOLVED NEED TO BE RETRAINED AS THEY DIRECTED THE ACFT INTO PARKED EQUIP IN A SIT WHERE CAPT COULD NOT SEE THE EQUIP.

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.