B737-300 flight crew were impacted by baggage cart while taxiing into gate at bwi.

Attributes
ACN	721049
Time
Date	200612
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : oak.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 181 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	721044
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : vehicle non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Aircraft impacted by baggage cart. While taxiing into gate at bwi; on centerline; safety zone appeared clear. Marshaller gave signals to continue into gate. Approaching the jetway very slowly and cautiously; following marshaller signals; the captain noticed that the external power cable was not horizontally straight. The captain also felt that the aircraft nose tires were coming very close to the external power cable and continued to slow down even more. At that moment; approximately 5 ft short of the stopping point; the captain felt as though the aircraft nose tires might have rolled over the external power cable. At that instant; the marshaller gave the stop signal. The aircraft was immediately stopped. The captain noticed the marshaller giving several signals to another individual; assumed to be a ground operations individual. Less than a min later; the marshaller gave the signal to continue taxiing forward until the marked stop point. Better lighting in the ramp area; required personnel in attendance to taxiing event; non-movement of ground equipment during taxi event into safety zone; maintain a sterile zone at all times while marshalling aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW WERE IMPACTED BY BAGGAGE CART WHILE TAXIING INTO GATE AT BWI.

Narrative: ACFT IMPACTED BY BAGGAGE CART. WHILE TAXIING INTO GATE AT BWI; ON CTRLINE; SAFETY ZONE APPEARED CLR. MARSHALLER GAVE SIGNALS TO CONTINUE INTO GATE. APCHING THE JETWAY VERY SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY; FOLLOWING MARSHALLER SIGNALS; THE CAPT NOTICED THAT THE EXTERNAL PWR CABLE WAS NOT HORIZLY STRAIGHT. THE CAPT ALSO FELT THAT THE ACFT NOSE TIRES WERE COMING VERY CLOSE TO THE EXTERNAL PWR CABLE AND CONTINUED TO SLOW DOWN EVEN MORE. AT THAT MOMENT; APPROX 5 FT SHORT OF THE STOPPING POINT; THE CAPT FELT AS THOUGH THE ACFT NOSE TIRES MIGHT HAVE ROLLED OVER THE EXTERNAL PWR CABLE. AT THAT INSTANT; THE MARSHALLER GAVE THE STOP SIGNAL. THE ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. THE CAPT NOTICED THE MARSHALLER GIVING SEVERAL SIGNALS TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL; ASSUMED TO BE A GND OPS INDIVIDUAL. LESS THAN A MIN LATER; THE MARSHALLER GAVE THE SIGNAL TO CONTINUE TAXIING FORWARD UNTIL THE MARKED STOP POINT. BETTER LIGHTING IN THE RAMP AREA; REQUIRED PERSONNEL IN ATTENDANCE TO TAXIING EVENT; NON-MOVEMENT OF GND EQUIP DURING TAXI EVENT INTO SAFETY ZONE; MAINTAIN A STERILE ZONE AT ALL TIMES WHILE MARSHALLING ACFT.

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.