Narrative:

Flight was almost 3 hours late. We waited 28 mins for our gate to open up. We were in a hurry to get passenger to gate. After departing aircraft cleared gate; we received ramp clearance to the gate. There were several ground crew preparing our gate. We approached the top of the gate; the marshaller was walking toward the aircraft but had not started guiding us. We continued a very slow taxi to the gate awaiting guidance. About a half an airplane length from the gate I asked the captain how our clearance looked on the left wing because I sensed we were close. As he looked out the left window he immediately hit the brakes. However it was too late; he had bumped a bag cart about 3 ft from the left wingtip. The ground crew moved the bag cart; inspected the damage; and guided us to the gate. We deplaned passenger and immediately notified company. I feel we made a poor decision approaching the gate before the ground crew was fully ready. This was due to feeling pressured to make up time since the flight was late. I also think the crew was a little fatigued due to the hectic previous day we had. As the first officer I also should have been more aggressive in stopping the aircraft myself as soon as I sensed a problem instead of questioning the captain. This will be avoided in the future by strictly complying with all company procedures concerning parking and having more positive communication between crew members and ground crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARJ STRIKES BAGGAGE CART WHILE APCHING THE GATE AT PHL.

Narrative: FLT WAS ALMOST 3 HRS LATE. WE WAITED 28 MINS FOR OUR GATE TO OPEN UP. WE WERE IN A HURRY TO GET PAX TO GATE. AFTER DEPARTING ACFT CLRED GATE; WE RECEIVED RAMP CLRNC TO THE GATE. THERE WERE SEVERAL GND CREW PREPARING OUR GATE. WE APCHED THE TOP OF THE GATE; THE MARSHALLER WAS WALKING TOWARD THE ACFT BUT HAD NOT STARTED GUIDING US. WE CONTINUED A VERY SLOW TAXI TO THE GATE AWAITING GUIDANCE. ABOUT A HALF AN AIRPLANE LENGTH FROM THE GATE I ASKED THE CAPT HOW OUR CLRNC LOOKED ON THE L WING BECAUSE I SENSED WE WERE CLOSE. AS HE LOOKED OUT THE L WINDOW HE IMMEDIATELY HIT THE BRAKES. HOWEVER IT WAS TOO LATE; HE HAD BUMPED A BAG CART ABOUT 3 FT FROM THE L WINGTIP. THE GND CREW MOVED THE BAG CART; INSPECTED THE DAMAGE; AND GUIDED US TO THE GATE. WE DEPLANED PAX AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED COMPANY. I FEEL WE MADE A POOR DECISION APCHING THE GATE BEFORE THE GND CREW WAS FULLY READY. THIS WAS DUE TO FEELING PRESSURED TO MAKE UP TIME SINCE THE FLT WAS LATE. I ALSO THINK THE CREW WAS A LITTLE FATIGUED DUE TO THE HECTIC PREVIOUS DAY WE HAD. AS THE FO I ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN STOPPING THE ACFT MYSELF AS SOON AS I SENSED A PROB INSTEAD OF QUESTIONING THE CAPT. THIS WILL BE AVOIDED IN THE FUTURE BY STRICTLY COMPLYING WITH ALL COMPANY PROCS CONCERNING PARKING AND HAVING MORE POSITIVE COM BTWN CREW MEMBERS AND GND CREW.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.