B737 CREW COLLIDES WITH BAGGAGE CART WHILE BEING DIRECTED BY MARSHALL INTO GATE.

Narrative

I WAS FINISHED WITH MY DUTIES BEFORE APCHING THE GATE AREA. AS WE APCHED THE TURN FOR THE GATE (A 90 DEG L TURN); I SPOTTED THE MARSHALLER WITH LIGHTED WANDS ON THE TUG. SHE WAS MARSHALLING US INTO THE GATE. AS WE MADE THE L TURN INTO THE GATE; I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE CLR ZONE AND SAW NO OBSTRUCTIONS. AS WE STRAIGHTENED OUT AND LINED UP WITH THE LINE; I CONTINUED WITH MY NORMAL ROUTINE OF CLRING AND SPECIFICALLY LOOKED AT THE R SIDE OF THE SAFETY ZONE TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING WAS EXTENDING PAST THE R SIDE BOUNDARY LINE. I THEN LOOKED FORWARD AGAIN AND SAID 'SAFETY ZONE APPEARS CLR ON THE R.' AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME; THE CAPT ALSO MADE A STATEMENT THAT THE SAFETY ZONE WAS CLR. AS THE MARSHALLER GAVE US THE SIGNAL TO CONTINUE; THE CAPT CONTINUED TO TAXI THE ACFT TOWARDS THE STOP LINE AT A SLOW SPD. ABOUT 2 FT PRIOR TO THE NORMAL STOP POINT; THE MARSHALLER LOOKED TO THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND IMMEDIATELY SIGNALED FOR A STOP. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT. THE MARSHALLER THEN ATTEMPTED TO GET ANOTHER GND PERSONNEL'S ATTN. SHE EVENTUALLY DID; AND HE TOOK SOME ACTION ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. (WE LATER FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS MOVING A BAGGAGE CART.) THE ACFT WAS EVENTUALLY TAXIED THE REMAINING 2-3 FT TO THE APPROPRIATE POINT AND THE FLT WAS TERMINATED. I NEVER FELT OR HEARD ANYTHING UNUSUAL DURING THE TAXI TO THE GATE. THE OPS AGENT EVENTUALLY LET US KNOW THAT THE GND PERSONNEL WANTED US TO LOOK AT A MARK ON THE ENG. THIS IS HOW WE FOUND OUT THE ACFT MADE CONTACT WITH AN OBJECT. MAINT WAS NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE FOUND OUT. EVEN THOUGH I CLRED THE SAFETY AREA THOROUGHLY; I NEVER SAW THE BAGGAGE CART. I THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT. AIRFIELD LIGHTING NEAR THIS GATE IS POOR. THE AREA IS LIT FROM BEHIND THE JETWAY AND A SHADOW IS CAST BY THE JETWAY. OBJECTS IN THE SHADOW WOULD BE VERY HARD TO SEE. THE BAGGAGE CARTS ARE HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT DUE TO THEIR COLOR AND LACK OF REFLECTORS. THE SAFETY ZONES ARE OFTEN USED UNNECESSARILY AS A PARKING LOT FOR BAGGAGE CARTS. LASTLY; I DON'T THINK THE GND PERSONNEL TRULY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR JOB OF SAFELY TAXIING US IN. A GOOD MARSHALLER AND SOME WING WALKERS ARE WORTH A THOUSAND EYES IN THE COCKPIT. CREWS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME VIGILANCE TAXIING INTO THE GATE AREAS; ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. WE WERE FOCUSED; TAXIING SLOW; AND NOT DISTR BY OUTSIDE EVENTS; BUT WE STILL; FOR SOME REASON; DID NOT SEE THE OBSTRUCTION.