A B727 BEING GUIDED TO A GATE STRUCK AN IMPROPERLY PARKED WIDE BODY LOADER INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE L WINGTIP ASSEMBLY.

Narrative

AFTER UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM ORD TO SLC; OUR ACFT WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO SPOT Z BY GND CTL. FROM SPOT Z WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO GATE XX BY RAMP TWR. WHILE MAKING A L-HAND TURN IN TO THE GATE; WE WERE GIVEN A RED STOP LIGHT BY THE GND PERSONNEL. THERE WERE SOME BAGGAGE CARTS IN OUR WAY TO THE L OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE TURN WHILE THE CARTS WERE REMOVED. AFTER THE CARTS WERE REMOVED; WE WERE GIVEN A GREEN LIGHT TO CONTINUE INTO THE GATE. THERE WERE 5 GND PERSONNEL TO HELP GUIDE US; THE RAMP WAS CLR OF SNOW AND ICE; AND ALL LINES WERE VISIBLE. THE ACFT COMPLETED THE TURN AND WAS LINED UP WITH THE GUIDE LIGHTS AND THE PAINTED LINE ON THE RAMP. APPROX 15-20 FT SHORT OF THE GATE; 2 GND PERSONNEL IN FRONT OF THE ACFT NOSE HESITANTLY GAVE US THE CROSSED ARM SIGNAL TO STOP. AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES; WE FELT THE ACFT SHUDDER. EVEN THOUGH WE STILL HAD A GREEN LIGHT; OUR L WINGTIP HAD STRUCK A WDB CARGO LOADER. THE BASE OF THE LOADER WAS OUTSIDE THE PAINTED LINES ON THE RAMP BUT THE UPPER PORTION IS OFFSET AND WAS JUTTING OUT INTO OUR CLR ZONE. THE OBSTACLE WAS REMOVED AND THE ACFT TOWED THE REMAINING DISTANCE TO THE JETWAY.