WITH 3 MARSHALLERS DIRECTING RPTR CAPT INTO THE GATE AND THE FINAL 20 FT VISIBILITY RESTR BY JETWAY; ACFT HIT BELT LOADER WHICH WAS PARKED OUTSIDE LINED AREA.

Narrative

ACFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO L ENG NACELLE WHEN IT STRUCK A BAGGAGE CART WHILE PARKING AT GATE. APCHING THE GATE AREA A DISTINCT; THICK RED LINE WAS EVIDENT AND WAS INTERPRETED AS THE CLRNC LINE BEHIND WHICH GND EQUIP SHOULD BE PARKED. ALL GND EQUIP WAS BEHIND THIS LINE. 3 MARSHALLERS WERE PRESENT; ONE AT EACH WINGTIP AND ONE IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. ALL CONTINUED TO GIVE THE SIGNAL TO PROCEED -- AT NO TIME DID THEY GIVE A SIGNAL TO STOP. DURING THE LAST 20 FT OF TAXI THE JETWAY PREVENTED THE CAPT FROM SEEING OUT THE L WINDOW. SUBSEQUENT WALKAROUND REVEALED THE ACFT HAD STRUCK A BELT LOADER CAUSING 2 INCH CUT IN L ENG NACELLE. A VERY FAINT; WORN YELLOW LINE WAS PAINTED ON THE GND BUT HAD NOT BEEN VISIBLE FROM ACFT. THE BELT LOADER WAS PARKED INSIDE THIS LINE. THERE EXISTS NO STANDARD FOR CLRNC LINES AT GATE AREAS. SOME ARPTS HAVE RED LINES; SOME YELLOW; SOME WHITE; SOME ARE THICK; SOME VERY THIN. MANY ARPTS HAVE NO LINES AT ALL. AT THIS PARTICULAR GATE; THE YELLOW CLRNC LINE NEEDS TO BE REPAINTED. THE GND PERSONNEL INVOLVED NEED TO BE RETRAINED AS THEY DIRECTED THE ACFT INTO PARKED EQUIP IN A SIT WHERE CAPT COULD NOT SEE THE EQUIP.