Narrative:

Aircraft was taxiing northbound on taxiway U9 at a standard taxi speed with the nosewheel taxi light in the dim position. Normal traffic scanning procedures were used while taxiing. When the aircraft was abeam gate X, a jolt was felt to the aircraft. We stopped the aircraft and advised ramp control. A radio call came over the ramp control frequency to alert us that a bag cart was on fire near the rear of our aircraft. The captain, in the interest of safety, moved the aircraft forward approximately 75 yards and stopped. This positioned the aircraft a safe distance from the burning cart. Crash fire rescue equipment was called and approached the scene. Contact was made via the aircraft interphone with the lead flight attendant. She advised us of the conditions in the cabin and that no fire was present. A PA was made to the passenger to explain the situation. Air carrier maintenance was called out to inspect the aircraft for damage. They advised us that a tug or bag cart had struck the left wing of the aircraft. No fuel was leaking from the aircraft, so the APU was started and the engines shut down using normal flow and checklist procedures. The aircraft was then towed to a gate and the passenger deplaned. At no time during our taxi did the captain or myself observe any ground equipment approaching the aircraft. Contributing factors that could have led to this situation were the nighttime operation and no standard crossing procedures for ground equipment between concourse B and a on the detroit ramp. This situation could be avoided by developing a standard crossing route between terminals B and a.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 FLC HAS BAGGAGE CART IMPACT ACFT WHILE THEY ARE TAXIING AT DTW.

Narrative: ACFT WAS TAXIING NBOUND ON TXWY U9 AT A STANDARD TAXI SPD WITH THE NOSEWHEEL TAXI LIGHT IN THE DIM POS. NORMAL TFC SCANNING PROCS WERE USED WHILE TAXIING. WHEN THE ACFT WAS ABEAM GATE X, A JOLT WAS FELT TO THE ACFT. WE STOPPED THE ACFT AND ADVISED RAMP CTL. A RADIO CALL CAME OVER THE RAMP CTL FREQ TO ALERT US THAT A BAG CART WAS ON FIRE NEAR THE REAR OF OUR ACFT. THE CAPT, IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, MOVED THE ACFT FORWARD APPROX 75 YARDS AND STOPPED. THIS POSITIONED THE ACFT A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE BURNING CART. CFR WAS CALLED AND APCHED THE SCENE. CONTACT WAS MADE VIA THE ACFT INTERPHONE WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT. SHE ADVISED US OF THE CONDITIONS IN THE CABIN AND THAT NO FIRE WAS PRESENT. A PA WAS MADE TO THE PAX TO EXPLAIN THE SIT. ACR MAINT WAS CALLED OUT TO INSPECT THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE. THEY ADVISED US THAT A TUG OR BAG CART HAD STRUCK THE L WING OF THE ACFT. NO FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE ACFT, SO THE APU WAS STARTED AND THE ENGS SHUT DOWN USING NORMAL FLOW AND CHKLIST PROCS. THE ACFT WAS THEN TOWED TO A GATE AND THE PAX DEPLANED. AT NO TIME DURING OUR TAXI DID THE CAPT OR MYSELF OBSERVE ANY GND EQUIP APCHING THE ACFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT COULD HAVE LED TO THIS SIT WERE THE NIGHTTIME OP AND NO STANDARD XING PROCS FOR GND EQUIP BTWN CONCOURSE B AND A ON THE DETROIT RAMP. THIS SIT COULD BE AVOIDED BY DEVELOPING A STANDARD XING RTE BTWN TERMINALS B AND A.

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.