DC9 FLC HAS BAGGAGE CART IMPACT ACFT WHILE THEY ARE TAXIING AT DTW.

Narrative

ACFT WAS TAXIING NBOUND ON TXWY U9 AT A STANDARD TAXI SPD WITH THE NOSEWHEEL TAXI LIGHT IN THE DIM POS. NORMAL TFC SCANNING PROCS WERE USED WHILE TAXIING. WHEN THE ACFT WAS ABEAM GATE X; A JOLT WAS FELT TO THE ACFT. WE STOPPED THE ACFT AND ADVISED RAMP CTL. A RADIO CALL CAME OVER THE RAMP CTL FREQ TO ALERT US THAT A BAG CART WAS ON FIRE NEAR THE REAR OF OUR ACFT. THE CAPT; IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; MOVED THE ACFT FORWARD APPROX 75 YARDS AND STOPPED. THIS POSITIONED THE ACFT A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE BURNING CART. CFR WAS CALLED AND APCHED THE SCENE. CONTACT WAS MADE VIA THE ACFT INTERPHONE WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT. SHE ADVISED US OF THE CONDITIONS IN THE CABIN AND THAT NO FIRE WAS PRESENT. A PA WAS MADE TO THE PAX TO EXPLAIN THE SIT. ACR MAINT WAS CALLED OUT TO INSPECT THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE. THEY ADVISED US THAT A TUG OR BAG CART HAD STRUCK THE L WING OF THE ACFT. NO FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE ACFT; SO THE APU WAS STARTED AND THE ENGS SHUT DOWN USING NORMAL FLOW AND CHKLIST PROCS. THE ACFT WAS THEN TOWED TO A GATE AND THE PAX DEPLANED. AT NO TIME DURING OUR TAXI DID THE CAPT OR MYSELF OBSERVE ANY GND EQUIP APCHING THE ACFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT COULD HAVE LED TO THIS SIT WERE THE NIGHTTIME OP AND NO STANDARD XING PROCS FOR GND EQUIP BTWN CONCOURSE B AND A ON THE DETROIT RAMP. THIS SIT COULD BE AVOIDED BY DEVELOPING A STANDARD XING RTE BTWN TERMINALS B AND A.