COMMUTER FLT HAS PROP STRIKE ON RAMP WHEN CLRED BY MARSHALLER.

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ON TAXI OUT OF THE GATE FOR FLT RDU-IAD. THERE WAS A SMALL ORANGE CONE ABOUT 80 FT AWAY ON AN ANGLE (45 DEGS OR SO) OUT THE FRONT WINDOW TO THE R. FROM MY SEAT POS THE CONE WAS NOT IN VIEW DUE TO THE GLARESHIELD. I GAVE THE MARSHALLER THE SIGNAL THAT WE WERE READY TO TAXI FROM THE RAMP. THE MARSHALLER STOOD IN FRONT OF US AND WE PULLED THE ACFT FORWARD AND WAS TURNED ABOUT 90 DEGS TO OUR ORIGINAL STARTING POS AND PRIOR TO PASSING THE ORANGE PLASTIC CONE; THE MARSHALLER GAVE US THE ALL CLR SIGN WITH HIS HANDS AND THEN TURNED AND WALKED AWAY TOWARDS OPS. I LOOKED L AND R AND BEGAN TO TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD OFF THE RAMP. AFTER MOVING ABOUT 10 FT WE FELT THE ACFT RUN OVER OR STRIKE SOMETHING ON THE RAMP. I CALLED RDU OPS AND ASKED THEM TO COME OUT TO THE ACFT AND SEE IF WE RAN OVER SOMETHING OR HIT SOMETHING WITH ONE OF OUR PROPS. THE MARSHALLER CAME OUT AND STOOD IN FRONT OF THE L MOVING PROP AND GAVE ME THE IMPRESSION HE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG. I THEN CALLED OPS AGAIN AND STATED I NEEDED TO KNOW IF A PROP HAD HIT SOMETHING OR HAD WE RUN OVER SOMETHING. HE THEN TOLD ME WE HIT AN ORANGE CONE WITH THE PROP. I NEVER SAW THE CONE DUE TO IT BEING WELL BELOW MY LINE OF SIGHT AS WE BEGAN OUR TAXI OUT OF THE GATE. I TAXIED THE ACFT BACK INTO THE GATE AND CALLED MAINT CTL. CONTRACT MAINT CAME OUT AND FOUND A SMALL BEND IN THE TIP OF ONE OF THE BLADES. I FEEL ACR B SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE CONES OUT ON THE RAMP IF THERE WAS NO AIRPLANE THEY WERE PROTECTING. ALSO THE RAMPER SHOULD HAVE NEVER GIVEN ME THE ALL CLR SIGN WHEN THERE WAS AN OBJECT OUT ON THE RAMP; BTWN THE TWO ACR GATES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 335365: MYSELF AND THE CAPT HAD VERY LITTLE CHANCE TO SEE THE CONE WE HIT. FROM MY POS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE DOWN AND THAT CLOSE TO THE L SIDE. MY JOB IS MOSTLY TO MAKE SURE R SIDE IS CLR. THE CAPT WAS WATCHING THE MARSHALLER DURING THE TURN OUT; AND WHEN RELEASED; HE WAS TO LOOK FORWARD AND AT HIS WINGTIP. THE 2 SECONDS WE TAXIED STRAIGHT BEFORE WE HIT; GAVE HIM SLIM TO NO CHANCE TO DISCOVER A CONE DOWN TO HIS L. I FEEL THE MARSHALLER SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS CASE. WHY MARSHALL US AT ALL IF YOU ARE GOING TO SET US UP STRAIGHT AND UP CLOSE TO AN OBSTACLE 3 FT TALL -- AND THEN RELEASE US? IN ADDITION TO ALL THIS; IT WAS DUSK HRS SO I AM CONVINCED THAT THE MARSHALLER RELEASED US PREMATURELY.