AN ACR MLG TAXIING INTO THE GATE WITH MARSHALLER'S AND WING WALKER'S ASSISTANCE HITS A MISPARKED BAGGAGE CART WITH ITS WINGLET.

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ARRIVED AT GATE WITH NO PERSONNEL TO MARSHALL ACFT IN. CAPT SET PARKING BRAKE WHILE A PASSING TUG DRIVER STOPPED; PREPARED GATE; AND TOOK POS TO GUIDE US IN. MEANWHILE; BAGS WERE BEING XFERRED BTWN 2 BAG CARTS OFF THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. MARSHALLER GAVE SIGNAL TO TAXI FORWARD. CAPT RELEASED PARKING BRAKE AND FOLLOWED MARSHALLER'S INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI. 2 OTHER PERSONNEL IN GATE AREA GAVE 'THUMBS UP' SIGNAL INDICATING L WING CLRNC WITH PARKED BAGGAGE CART. I THEN SCANNED R TO ENSURE R WING CLRNC. ACFT STOPPED SUDDENLY. I LOOKED FORWARD TO SEE MARSHALLER DIRECTING AN EMER STOP WITH A SURPRISED LOOK ON HIS FACE. CAPT LOOKED FAR L TO SEE BAGGAGE HANDLERS EMPHATICALLY INDICATING EMER STOP WITH CROSSED ARMS. APPARENTLY; THE L WINGLET CONTACTED THE BAGGAGE CART DURING ACFT'S MOVEMENT TO THE GATE. THE MARSHALLER WAS UNAWARE OF L WING PROX TO BAGGAGE CART. THIS WAS DUE TO ATTN FOCUSED ON CTRING THE NOSEWHEEL ON THE PARKING MARK. BAGGAGE CART WAS REMOVED; ACFT WAS PARKED; AND THE PAX DEPLANED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HUMAN FACTORS INCLUDE: 1) POOR COM BTWN GND CREW IN NOISY RAMP AREA. 2) MARSHALLER'S FOCUS ON ACFT'S NOSEWHEEL; NOT ON ACFT'S POS RELATIVE TO ENVIRONMENT. 3) MARSHALLER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO STOP ACFT ON MARK AND BE AWARE OF ACFT CLRNCS WITH RESPECT TO GND EQUIP. I FEEL A 2 MARSHALLER SYS; WHERE 1 STANDS BEHIND THE OTHER; 1 TO GUIDE ACFT; 1 TO ASSURE CLRNCS WOULD PREVENT A RECURRENCE.