Narrative:

Pushed back from gate, thunderstorm was approaching field rapidly and when asking for clearance to taxi, we were instructed to hold short of runway 22 on taxiway P. We positioned the plane as instructed and were sitting stationary with the parking brake set. During the short taxi, winds were blowing very hard (all windsocks were straight out) with very heavy rain. Visibility estimated at less than 1/4 mi. Also during taxi, ZZZ ground advised us flight operations were currently suspended until the thunderstorm passed, hence our clearance to park at a location and stop. Captain advised me he was off ground frequency to make a PA to passenger. I was monitoring both ground and company frequencys. Both frequencys were very busy. I heard a radio call 'aircraft holding short needs to move.' a few seconds later a second call came, 'company aircraft on gate Z needs to move.' I replied 'company aircraft gate Z is company number, say again.' a reply came back 'move.' the captain came back from his PA at this time. I looked over behind the captain and through his #3 window saw a run-away baggage cart headed straight for our aircraft. The angle of the cart was such I could not have seen it earlier as it was blocked by the captain's head. The captain saw the cart at the same time, released the parking brake and added power. Just as the aircraft started to move, we felt a dull thud as the cart impacted the outboard side of #1 engine. We set the brake, observed no abnormal indications, but shut down #1 as a precaution. Apparently the baggage cart brake was set but was set either not operational or worn. Better attention to preventative maintenance would probably have helped. Radio calls were very vague and, until it was too late, our call sign or tail number were never used. Initial calls came from another carrier rj holding on the ramp who got ZZZ ground's attention. Baggage cart came from gate X area across gate Y to hit our aircraft on gate Z.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 PARKED ON A TXWY AWAITING PASSAGE OF A LCL TSTM IS HIT BY A FREE-ROLLING BAGGAGE CART ON THE SIDE OF #1 ENG AT BWI, MD.

Narrative: PUSHED BACK FROM GATE, TSTM WAS APCHING FIELD RAPIDLY AND WHEN ASKING FOR CLRNC TO TAXI, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22 ON TXWY P. WE POSITIONED THE PLANE AS INSTRUCTED AND WERE SITTING STATIONARY WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SET. DURING THE SHORT TAXI, WINDS WERE BLOWING VERY HARD (ALL WINDSOCKS WERE STRAIGHT OUT) WITH VERY HVY RAIN. VISIBILITY ESTIMATED AT LESS THAN 1/4 MI. ALSO DURING TAXI, ZZZ GND ADVISED US FLT OPS WERE CURRENTLY SUSPENDED UNTIL THE TSTM PASSED, HENCE OUR CLRNC TO PARK AT A LOCATION AND STOP. CAPT ADVISED ME HE WAS OFF GND FREQ TO MAKE A PA TO PAX. I WAS MONITORING BOTH GND AND COMPANY FREQS. BOTH FREQS WERE VERY BUSY. I HEARD A RADIO CALL 'ACFT HOLDING SHORT NEEDS TO MOVE.' A FEW SECONDS LATER A SECOND CALL CAME, 'COMPANY ACFT ON GATE Z NEEDS TO MOVE.' I REPLIED 'COMPANY ACFT GATE Z IS COMPANY NUMBER, SAY AGAIN.' A REPLY CAME BACK 'MOVE.' THE CAPT CAME BACK FROM HIS PA AT THIS TIME. I LOOKED OVER BEHIND THE CAPT AND THROUGH HIS #3 WINDOW SAW A RUN-AWAY BAGGAGE CART HEADED STRAIGHT FOR OUR ACFT. THE ANGLE OF THE CART WAS SUCH I COULD NOT HAVE SEEN IT EARLIER AS IT WAS BLOCKED BY THE CAPT'S HEAD. THE CAPT SAW THE CART AT THE SAME TIME, RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE AND ADDED PWR. JUST AS THE ACFT STARTED TO MOVE, WE FELT A DULL THUD AS THE CART IMPACTED THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF #1 ENG. WE SET THE BRAKE, OBSERVED NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS, BUT SHUT DOWN #1 AS A PRECAUTION. APPARENTLY THE BAGGAGE CART BRAKE WAS SET BUT WAS SET EITHER NOT OPERATIONAL OR WORN. BETTER ATTN TO PREVENTATIVE MAINT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE HELPED. RADIO CALLS WERE VERY VAGUE AND, UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE, OUR CALL SIGN OR TAIL NUMBER WERE NEVER USED. INITIAL CALLS CAME FROM ANOTHER CARRIER RJ HOLDING ON THE RAMP WHO GOT ZZZ GND'S ATTN. BAGGAGE CART CAME FROM GATE X AREA ACROSS GATE Y TO HIT OUR ACFT ON GATE Z.

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.