B717-200 crew was hit by a baggage cart tug during power back from the gate at atl.

Attributes
ACN	589607
Time
Date	200308
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B717 (Formerly MD-95)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3100
ASRS Report	589607
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	589608
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle ground encounters other non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3-4
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We received permission from ramp tower to commence the power back, 'tail north.' the first officer and I observed that the area on our respective sides of the aircraft was clear as far back as we could see. I flashed the taxi light to the marshaller indicating that we were cleared to power back. I was given the signal to come ahead and then to power back. On the power back and once clear of the immediate ramp area, the marshaller gave me the signal to initiate a turn 'tail north.' I initiated the turn 'tail north' on the marshalers signal and turned the aircraft so as to be slightly inside the taxi line on our side of the ramp. At this point the power back was completely normal and routine in every respect from the crew's perspective. Approaching a 'nose south' direction, I came out of reverse on both engines and added power to stop the aft momentum of the aircraft and to line up the aircraft parallel with the ns taxi line. I did not receive a 'stop' signal from the marshaller at any time during the power back. Shortly after lining up parallel with the ns taxi line, I heard and felt a noticeable, moderately loud thump or bang on the left side of the aircraft. I exclaimed, 'what was that!' and after ensuring that the aircraft was rolling in a forward direction, I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. My immediate reaction was that we had a compressor stall on the left engine or that something had hit the aircraft. As a recall, the marshaller was then giving me the 'stop' signal and people were coming towards the aircraft. I looked back towards the left wing and could see an air carrier Y baggage tug stopped behind us and a baggage container on the ground. It looked as if our left wingtip/aileron was damaged. I asked the first officer to confirm with ramp tower what had happened and was told by the ramp tower we hit a baggage cart. I then had the first officer call air carrier X operations to inform them. I then made a PA announcement to the passenger telling them we would be going back to the gate to investigate further what happened as soon as the investigators on the ground inspected the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B717-200 CREW WAS HIT BY A BAGGAGE CART TUG DURING PWR BACK FROM THE GATE AT ATL.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM RAMP TWR TO COMMENCE THE PWR BACK, 'TAIL N.' THE FO AND I OBSERVED THAT THE AREA ON OUR RESPECTIVE SIDES OF THE ACFT WAS CLR AS FAR BACK AS WE COULD SEE. I FLASHED THE TAXI LIGHT TO THE MARSHALLER INDICATING THAT WE WERE CLRED TO PWR BACK. I WAS GIVEN THE SIGNAL TO COME AHEAD AND THEN TO PWR BACK. ON THE PWR BACK AND ONCE CLR OF THE IMMEDIATE RAMP AREA, THE MARSHALLER GAVE ME THE SIGNAL TO INITIATE A TURN 'TAIL N.' I INITIATED THE TURN 'TAIL N' ON THE MARSHALERS SIGNAL AND TURNED THE ACFT SO AS TO BE SLIGHTLY INSIDE THE TAXI LINE ON OUR SIDE OF THE RAMP. AT THIS POINT THE PWR BACK WAS COMPLETELY NORMAL AND ROUTINE IN EVERY RESPECT FROM THE CREW'S PERSPECTIVE. APCHING A 'NOSE S' DIRECTION, I CAME OUT OF REVERSE ON BOTH ENGS AND ADDED PWR TO STOP THE AFT MOMENTUM OF THE ACFT AND TO LINE UP THE ACFT PARALLEL WITH THE NS TAXI LINE. I DID NOT RECEIVE A 'STOP' SIGNAL FROM THE MARSHALLER AT ANY TIME DURING THE PWR BACK. SHORTLY AFTER LINING UP PARALLEL WITH THE NS TAXI LINE, I HEARD AND FELT A NOTICEABLE, MODERATELY LOUD THUMP OR BANG ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. I EXCLAIMED, 'WHAT WAS THAT!' AND AFTER ENSURING THAT THE ACFT WAS ROLLING IN A FORWARD DIRECTION, I STOPPED THE ACFT AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS THAT WE HAD A COMPRESSOR STALL ON THE L ENG OR THAT SOMETHING HAD HIT THE ACFT. AS A RECALL, THE MARSHALLER WAS THEN GIVING ME THE 'STOP' SIGNAL AND PEOPLE WERE COMING TOWARDS THE ACFT. I LOOKED BACK TOWARDS THE L WING AND COULD SEE AN ACR Y BAGGAGE TUG STOPPED BEHIND US AND A BAGGAGE CONTAINER ON THE GND. IT LOOKED AS IF OUR L WINGTIP/AILERON WAS DAMAGED. I ASKED THE FO TO CONFIRM WITH RAMP TWR WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WAS TOLD BY THE RAMP TWR WE HIT A BAGGAGE CART. I THEN HAD THE FO CALL ACR X OPS TO INFORM THEM. I THEN MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX TELLING THEM WE WOULD BE GOING BACK TO THE GATE TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER WHAT HAPPENED AS SOON AS THE INVESTIGATORS ON THE GND INSPECTED THE ACFT.

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.