Narrative:

While taxiing into gate at phl, I stopped approximately 40 ft short of the blocks to await a marshaller. While the marshaller obtained wands, the first officer and I discussed the proximity of a bag cart parked between gates X and Y. When the marshaller commenced marshalling, first officer and I both gestured 2 or 3 times, in the form of pointing, at the bag cart. Marshaller ceased marshalling to evaluate the situation, then resumed marshalling and instructed us to taxi ahead to the gate. I taxied slower than normal speed and watched the wing closely. As I approached the blocks, the marshaller crossed the wands. It appeared by his expression that we had contacted the bag cart. I looked back at the left wingtip and it appeared to be in contact with the bag cart. Someone then moved the cart. I made an afml entry and contacted maintenance control. Contributing factors: no training with regard to air carrier ramp safety zones. Poor safety zone paint visibility. No safety zone standardization. No wing walker utilization. Poor judgement on behalf of the ramp lead/marshaller. Supplemental information from acn 614145: a 'ramp lead' person came over from the gate next to us, began waving his arms, marshalling us forward into the gate. The captain did not move the aircraft yet, and said to me, what do you think about the baggage cart? (There was a cart parked to our left side.) I said 'it looks like it is on the line. He left the parking brake on, and began pointing to the left, to the cart. I also began to point toward it, thinking he must see both of us pointing. He stopped motioning his arms for a few seconds, then began marshalling us in again. The captain released the brakes and began moving forward. I said 'don't trust it,' but he kept moving slowly, saying the left was clear as he looked out his left window. Just as the marshaller gave a stop signal, I could feel a slight 'bump.' I immediately went outside to inspect the damage, after our 11 passenger exited the aircraft. Ramp personnel (about 4) and 2 mechanics were already looking at the winglet, and the cart was already moved away from the wing. The damage to the winglet was a large scrape, approximately 1/4 inch in depth at center. The scrape was approximately 8-10 inches long and 1/2-1 inch wide. The marshaller admitted he was at fault, and the chief pilot said there would be no action taken. First of all, I was angered that the captain had not listened to me. I learned long ago to just situation and wait until ramp personnel moves any ground equipment. Don't even trust that you are clear if you are not 100% sure. Now I've learned the hard way that it is true. That is an excellent rule to follow. I think the captain has learned a hard-learned lesson also. Also, I should have been more assertive to the captain, not letting him just blow off my opinion, which he had asked for to begin with. I should have said to stop, I'm not comfortable with us moving the aircraft. Another lesson learned the hard way.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 WINGTIP STRIKE ON A BAGGAGE CART THAT WAS PARKED INSIDE THE SAFETY LINE AT PHL, PA.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING INTO GATE AT PHL, I STOPPED APPROX 40 FT SHORT OF THE BLOCKS TO AWAIT A MARSHALLER. WHILE THE MARSHALLER OBTAINED WANDS, THE FO AND I DISCUSSED THE PROX OF A BAG CART PARKED BTWN GATES X AND Y. WHEN THE MARSHALLER COMMENCED MARSHALLING, FO AND I BOTH GESTURED 2 OR 3 TIMES, IN THE FORM OF POINTING, AT THE BAG CART. MARSHALLER CEASED MARSHALLING TO EVALUATE THE SIT, THEN RESUMED MARSHALLING AND INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI AHEAD TO THE GATE. I TAXIED SLOWER THAN NORMAL SPD AND WATCHED THE WING CLOSELY. AS I APCHED THE BLOCKS, THE MARSHALLER CROSSED THE WANDS. IT APPEARED BY HIS EXPRESSION THAT WE HAD CONTACTED THE BAG CART. I LOOKED BACK AT THE L WINGTIP AND IT APPEARED TO BE IN CONTACT WITH THE BAG CART. SOMEONE THEN MOVED THE CART. I MADE AN AFML ENTRY AND CONTACTED MAINT CTL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NO TRAINING WITH REGARD TO ACR RAMP SAFETY ZONES. POOR SAFETY ZONE PAINT VISIBILITY. NO SAFETY ZONE STANDARDIZATION. NO WING WALKER UTILIZATION. POOR JUDGEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE RAMP LEAD/MARSHALLER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 614145: A 'RAMP LEAD' PERSON CAME OVER FROM THE GATE NEXT TO US, BEGAN WAVING HIS ARMS, MARSHALLING US FORWARD INTO THE GATE. THE CAPT DID NOT MOVE THE ACFT YET, AND SAID TO ME, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE BAGGAGE CART? (THERE WAS A CART PARKED TO OUR L SIDE.) I SAID 'IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS ON THE LINE. HE LEFT THE PARKING BRAKE ON, AND BEGAN POINTING TO THE L, TO THE CART. I ALSO BEGAN TO POINT TOWARD IT, THINKING HE MUST SEE BOTH OF US POINTING. HE STOPPED MOTIONING HIS ARMS FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN BEGAN MARSHALLING US IN AGAIN. THE CAPT RELEASED THE BRAKES AND BEGAN MOVING FORWARD. I SAID 'DON'T TRUST IT,' BUT HE KEPT MOVING SLOWLY, SAYING THE L WAS CLR AS HE LOOKED OUT HIS L WINDOW. JUST AS THE MARSHALLER GAVE A STOP SIGNAL, I COULD FEEL A SLIGHT 'BUMP.' I IMMEDIATELY WENT OUTSIDE TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE, AFTER OUR 11 PAX EXITED THE ACFT. RAMP PERSONNEL (ABOUT 4) AND 2 MECHS WERE ALREADY LOOKING AT THE WINGLET, AND THE CART WAS ALREADY MOVED AWAY FROM THE WING. THE DAMAGE TO THE WINGLET WAS A LARGE SCRAPE, APPROX 1/4 INCH IN DEPTH AT CTR. THE SCRAPE WAS APPROX 8-10 INCHES LONG AND 1/2-1 INCH WIDE. THE MARSHALLER ADMITTED HE WAS AT FAULT, AND THE CHIEF PLT SAID THERE WOULD BE NO ACTION TAKEN. FIRST OF ALL, I WAS ANGERED THAT THE CAPT HAD NOT LISTENED TO ME. I LEARNED LONG AGO TO JUST SIT AND WAIT UNTIL RAMP PERSONNEL MOVES ANY GND EQUIP. DON'T EVEN TRUST THAT YOU ARE CLR IF YOU ARE NOT 100% SURE. NOW I'VE LEARNED THE HARD WAY THAT IT IS TRUE. THAT IS AN EXCELLENT RULE TO FOLLOW. I THINK THE CAPT HAS LEARNED A HARD-LEARNED LESSON ALSO. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ASSERTIVE TO THE CAPT, NOT LETTING HIM JUST BLOW OFF MY OPINION, WHICH HE HAD ASKED FOR TO BEGIN WITH. I SHOULD HAVE SAID TO STOP, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH US MOVING THE ACFT. ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY.

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.