RPTR FOLLOWS MARSHALLER'S GUIDANCE INTO CARGO LOADER.

Narrative

WHILE TAXIING IN TO GATE; NOTICED CARGO LOADER PARKED NEAR JETWAY. SAFETY LINES; USED BY COMPANY FOR POSITIONING SUPPORT EQUIP; WERE OBSCURED BY SNOW AND FROST; BUT CARGO LOADER APPEARED TO BE OUTSIDE LINE. WE WERE EXPECTING TO STOP SHORT OF JETWAY; SINCE WE WERE IN COMBINATION CONFIGN WITH 2 PALLETS FORWARD; AND PAX WOULD BE EXITING VIA AFT AIRSTAIRS. HOWEVER; MARSHALLER DIRECTED US ALL THE WAY IN TO THE JETWAY; AND I LOST SIGHT OF THE CARGO LOADER AS WE CAME EVEN WITH THE JETWAY. PARKING AT THE JETWAY IS NOT TOO UNUSUAL IN COMBINATION CONFIGN; AS WE SOMETIMES RECONFIGURE TO SEND THE NEXT FLT OUT WITH ALL PAX. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN; COMPLETING OUR CHKLISTS; AND GETTING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE; WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE L WING LEADING EDGE; OUTBOARD OF THE #1 ENG; HAD CONTACTED THE CARGO LOADER; DAMAGING THE #3 SLAT. FORTUNATELY THE ACFT WAS ALMOST STOPPED WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE (WE HEARD AND FELT NOTHING IN THE COCKPIT). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) CARGO LOADER IMPROPERLY PARKED; 2) MARSHALLER WAS NOT ASSIGNED TO THIS FLT; AND WAS NOT AWARE OF CONFIGN. ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED SHORT OF THE JETWAY FOR EASE OF CARGO UNLOADING AND LOADING; 3) SAFETY LINES AND TAXI LINE OBSCURED BY SNOW AND FROST; 4) NO WING WALKERS ON HAND; 5) PLT'S VIOLATION OF HIS OWN RULE (PERSONAL; NOT COMPANY RULE) TO STOP AND WAIT FOR WING WALKERS IN TIGHT TAXI SIT; AND 6) MARSHALLER COULD NOT SEE CARGO LOADER FROM HIS POS; AS HIS VIEW WAS BLOCKED BY JETWAY (ANOTHER REASON WHY WING WALKERS SHOULD BE MANDATORY AT THIS GATE). RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) REEMPHASIZE IMPORTANCE OF PROPERLY POSITIONING GND EQUIP; 2) WING WALKERS SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR EVERY ARR AT GATE X; 3) MORE EFFORT SHOULD BE PUT INTO KEEPING LINES CLR AND VISIBLE; 4) PLTS SHOULD STOP AND WAIT FOR WING WALKERS IF THEY ARE NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE; AND 5) WHEN IN DOUBT; OR IF CLRNC IS MARGINAL; STOP; UNTIL QUALIFIED GND CREW VERIFY SAFE CLRNC.