ACR MLG HIT BAGGAGE CART WITH LEFT WING TIP TAXIING TO GATE UNDER DIRECTION OF COMPANY GND PERSONNEL GROUP GND SIGNALMAN.

Narrative

AFTER FLT TO ATL LANDED AND ENTERED THE RAMP PARKING AREA; THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING HIT A BAGGAGE CART THAT WAS IN THE PARKING AREA LOCATED AT GATE. THE ACFT WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX 180 FPM; AND THE PLT WAS FOLLOWING THE HAND SIGNALS OF A RAMP AGENT WHO WAS PARKING THE ACFT WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE ACFT NOSEWHEEL WAS ON THE YELLOW CENTERLINE DURING THIS ENTIRE OPERATION. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS MINIMAL; AND CONSISTED ONLY OF 3-4 SMALL DENTS OVER A 6' AREA 3' INBOARD FROM THE LEFT WING TIP. ADDITIONAL RAMP AGENTS WERE POSITIONED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ACFT WHO INDICATED TO THE CAPT AND MARSHALLER THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT CLRNC BTWN THE BAGGAGE CART AND THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRPLANE JUST PRIOR TO CONTACT OCCURRING BTWN THE ACFT AND BAGGAGE CART. AS THE F/O ON THE CREW; I WAS UNABLE; DUE TO PHYSICAL LOCATION IN THE COCKPIT AND DUE TO DEVOTING MY ATTN TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PARKING ENVIRONMENT; TO OBSERVE THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE/PARKING AREA IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE COLLISION. HOWEVER; I DID NOTE THAT AS THE ACFT BEGAN TURNING TO THE PARKING SPOT FROM THE MAIN RAMP AREA; 2 BAGGAGE CARTS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PARKING AREA WERE LOCATED OUTSIDE OF A RED TFC CONE (HWY TYPE). THIS WOULD INDICATE SUFFICIENT CLRNC BTWN A TAXIING ACFT AND ANY OBSTRUCTIONS NOT WITHIN THE PERIPHERY OF THIS MARKER; PROVIDED THE ACFT NOSEWHEEL WAS ON CENTERLINE AND THE MARKER WAS CORRECTLY PLACED ON THE RAMP. PERHAPS THE TFC CONE HAD BEEN MOVED/POSITIONED INCORRECTLY PRIOR TO OUR ACFT'S ARR; WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. ANOTHER POSSIBLE REASON FOR THIS OCCURRENCE WAS THAT THE RAMP AGENTS MIGHT HAVE ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE BAGGAGE CART WHILE THE ACFT WAS STILL MOVING FORWARD; AND THIS ACTIVITY WOULD HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE THE RANGE OF VISION OF THE CAPT WHO WAS CONCENTRATING ON FOLLOWING THE MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS. TO PREVENT INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE FROM RECURRING; RAMP AND BAGGAGE AGENTS SHOULD INSURE THAT ALL OBSTRUCTIONS TO A TAXIING ACFT HAVE BEEN REMOVED PRIOR TO THE ENTRY OF THAT ACFT INTO THE PARKING AREA. THEY SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT GND HANDLING EQUIP IS NOT TO BE MOVED INTO THE PROTECTED AREA UNTIL THE ACFT HAS COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND ALL ENGS SHUT DOWN.