Narrative:

Ramp supervisor informed me that a baggage cart was pushed up against left wingtip. During parking at gate we had 2 wing walkers; 1 positioned on left wingtip and 1 at the nose of aircraft marshalling air carrier X into position. Normal signals were used and at no time were emergency stop signals given. When forward marshaller gave stop command it was a normal command at the proper aircraft spot. No additional signals were given to flight crew at any time. First officer was monitoring right side of aircraft during parking and all was clear on that side. There appeared to be no damage to the aircraft at that time (minor scuffs on glare shield only). There was no 'bump' or any other indication that the aircraft struck any object during parking procedure. I was notified only after I had left the flight deck to do the walkaround and saw a group of people huddled at the wingtip. I was informed 16 mins after parking the aircraft at gate. Air carrier ramper informed crew prior to departure that the forward marshaller admitted to him that he was not looking at the additional marshaller positioned at the left wingtip and missed his command to stop the aircraft. Instead he said that his attention was on the right side of the aircraft due to proximity to a gpu positioned at top of parking spot. I have no significant recommendations as a result of this event. It is impossible to see that far to the rear and to the left while positioning an aircraft in that tight a spot while maintaining watch on the forward marshaller's commands. Marshallers must take the parking phase of aircraft seriously and should devote their full attention to where it is required. Supplemental information from acn 703851: the paint lines depicting the safety area around the plane are incorrect. The aircraft's nose was parked straight on the line yet this allowed the left wingtip to extend beyond the safety zone. To prevent this event from recurring; I suggest re-examining the safety zone paint markings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 MARSHALLED INTO BAGGAGE CART AT ORD DURING PARKING.

Narrative: RAMP SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT A BAGGAGE CART WAS PUSHED UP AGAINST L WINGTIP. DURING PARKING AT GATE WE HAD 2 WING WALKERS; 1 POSITIONED ON L WINGTIP AND 1 AT THE NOSE OF ACFT MARSHALLING ACR X INTO POS. NORMAL SIGNALS WERE USED AND AT NO TIME WERE EMER STOP SIGNALS GIVEN. WHEN FORWARD MARSHALLER GAVE STOP COMMAND IT WAS A NORMAL COMMAND AT THE PROPER ACFT SPOT. NO ADDITIONAL SIGNALS WERE GIVEN TO FLT CREW AT ANY TIME. FO WAS MONITORING R SIDE OF ACFT DURING PARKING AND ALL WAS CLR ON THAT SIDE. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AT THAT TIME (MINOR SCUFFS ON GLARE SHIELD ONLY). THERE WAS NO 'BUMP' OR ANY OTHER INDICATION THAT THE ACFT STRUCK ANY OBJECT DURING PARKING PROC. I WAS NOTIFIED ONLY AFTER I HAD LEFT THE FLT DECK TO DO THE WALKAROUND AND SAW A GROUP OF PEOPLE HUDDLED AT THE WINGTIP. I WAS INFORMED 16 MINS AFTER PARKING THE ACFT AT GATE. ACR RAMPER INFORMED CREW PRIOR TO DEP THAT THE FORWARD MARSHALLER ADMITTED TO HIM THAT HE WAS NOT LOOKING AT THE ADDITIONAL MARSHALLER POSITIONED AT THE L WINGTIP AND MISSED HIS COMMAND TO STOP THE ACFT. INSTEAD HE SAID THAT HIS ATTN WAS ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT DUE TO PROX TO A GPU POSITIONED AT TOP OF PARKING SPOT. I HAVE NO SIGNIFICANT RECOMMENDATIONS AS A RESULT OF THIS EVENT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THAT FAR TO THE REAR AND TO THE L WHILE POSITIONING AN ACFT IN THAT TIGHT A SPOT WHILE MAINTAINING WATCH ON THE FORWARD MARSHALLER'S COMMANDS. MARSHALLERS MUST TAKE THE PARKING PHASE OF ACFT SERIOUSLY AND SHOULD DEVOTE THEIR FULL ATTN TO WHERE IT IS REQUIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 703851: THE PAINT LINES DEPICTING THE SAFETY AREA AROUND THE PLANE ARE INCORRECT. THE ACFT'S NOSE WAS PARKED STRAIGHT ON THE LINE YET THIS ALLOWED THE L WINGTIP TO EXTEND BEYOND THE SAFETY ZONE. TO PREVENT THIS EVENT FROM RECURRING; I SUGGEST RE-EXAMINING THE SAFETY ZONE PAINT MARKINGS.

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.