IN A HURRY TO CATCH A FLT HOME; CAPT OF B737-700 TAXIES TO GATE AND LEAVES FLAPS EXTENDED IN HIS HURRY TO EXIT. RAMP VEHICLE STRIKES EXTENDED SLAT.

Narrative

THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF THE DAY. I WAS THE PLT AT THE CTLS. ON APCH TO SAN DIEGO; THE CAPT CALLED SAN DIEGO OPS TO SEE IF THERE WAS A FLT TO ZZZ. INDEED THERE WAS AND HE WANTED TO MAKE THAT FLT. HE ASKED OPS IF THE CAPT OF THAT FLT WOULD HOLD AT THE GATE FOR HIM. THE ANSWER WAS YES. THE CAPT ASKED ME IF I'D MIND SHUTTING DOWN THE JET. I SAID NO; NOT AT ALL. THE CAPT STARTED THE APU BEFORE 1000 FT. I FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL FLAPS 40 DEG APCH AND LANDED BTWN 1000-1500 FT DOWN THE RWY AND SLOWED THE ACFT. THE CAPT CAME ON THE CTLS AND EXITED AT B5 FOR THE GATE; ABOUT A 200 FT TAXI. WHILE EXITING THE RWY; TWR ASKED US TO CONTACT GND. I FLIPPED THE SWITCH AND CALLED BUT GOT NO REPLY AND THEN PUT THE CORRECT FREQ IN AND CALLED AGAIN. WHILE I WAS PUTTING IN THE CORRECT FREQ FOR GND CTL; THE CAPT CONTINUED TO TAXI IN. I CALLED 'SAFETY ZONE CLR R' AS THE CAPT REACHED OVER AND RAISED THE FLAP LEVER FROM 40 DEGS TO UP. I CONTACTED GND AND EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE NOW PARKED AT THE GATE AND THEY SAID 'YOU'RE AT THE GATE; RIGHT?' 'YES' I REPLIED; AND THEY SAID 'OK; GOODNIGHT.' AT THIS POINT; THE CAPT HAD ALREADY BUSSED UP THE APU; SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND WAS EXITING THE COCKPIT. I ESTIMATE OUR TAXI TIME WAS 20 SECONDS AFTER EXITING THE RWY TO ENG SHUTDOWN. I THEN RAN MY AFTER LNDG FLOW AND THEN MY SHUTDOWN FLOW AND GRABBED THE CHKLIST AND COMPLETED THE PARKING CHKLIST MYSELF AS THE CAPT WAS NOW; BAGS IN HAND; LEAVING THE COCKPIT. I THEN COMPLETED THE LOGBOOK. BY THIS TIME OUR LIGHT PAX LOAD (ABOUT 30) WAS LONG GONE AND OUR FLT ATTENDANTS WERE EXITING THE ACFT. I GRABBED MY FLASHLIGHT AND HEADED OUT TO DO THE WALKAROUND. AS SOON AS I GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE STEPS AND WALKED TO THE R AROUND THE NOSE OF THE ACFT; I LOOKED UP TO SEE THE SLATS STILL IN THE FULL EXTEND POS. A RAMPER WAS WALKING QUICKLY TO SEE ME AND SAY THAT HE HAD JUST PULLED A TALL BAG CART UNDER THE CANOE PANEL AND THE CART HAD HIT THE PANEL. I THANKED HIM OR BEING HONEST AND RPTING IT IMMEDIATELY. THE CART WAS PARKED JUST A FEW FT AFT OF THE CANOE PANEL WHERE THE RAMPER HAD STOPPED RIGHT AFTER THE IMPACT. I LEFT THE FLAPS IN THE EXTENDED POS (ABOUT 8 DEGS) AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED ACFT MAINT. WE GOT CONTRACT MAINT TO LOOK AT THE FLAPS. AT MAINT'S REQUEST; I USED THE 'B' ELECTRIC HYD PUMP AND RAN THEM DOWN; THEN UP; THEN FULL DOWN AND FULL UP FOR CONTRACT MAINT. I MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY USING THE CAPT'S EMPLOYEE NUMBER AS DIRECTED BY THE FOM. CLRLY; IF WE HAD TAXIED SLOWLY; I WOULD HAVE HAD TIME TO DO MY PRIMARY DUTY OF CONTACTING GND CTL AND COMPLETING THE AFTER LNDG FLOW. IN ADDITION; THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THE ACFT AFTER EXITING THE RWY AND WAITED FOR THE TAXI CLRNC BEFORE CONTINUING TO THE GATE. I'D ALSO RECOMMEND HE REMAIN PRESENT TO COMPLETE THE PARKING AND SHUTDOWN CHKLISTS.