Medium large transport tail strike on part of jetway on power-out departure.

Attributes
ACN	157012
Time
Date	199009
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bna
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	157010
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6600 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	157263
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other other

Narrative:

Before power-out of gate ground crewman said the jetway would not fully retract and to watch him for hand signals during the turn to avoid hitting the left wing tip on the jetway. I turned away from the gate using full right steering while watching the marshaller (ground crewman) who was watching another ground crewman positioned nearer to the jetway. As the aircraft turned I observed the ok signal until the wing cleared the jetway and I lost sight of the marshaller. Though the wing tip cleared, the left horizontal stabilizer trailing edge corner contacted the canvas overhang of the jetway causing minimum damage but resulting in a delayed departure. This could have been avoided by: 1) having the marshaller in a position where he can always be observed from the cockpit or be in communication with the cockpit. 2) establish positive clearance limits for jetways by aircraft type (which is still sporty), which if not met would require a pushback. 3) push back from all gates.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG TAIL STRIKE ON PART OF JETWAY ON POWER-OUT DEP.

Narrative: BEFORE PWR-OUT OF GATE GND CREWMAN SAID THE JETWAY WOULD NOT FULLY RETRACT AND TO WATCH HIM FOR HAND SIGNALS DURING THE TURN TO AVOID HITTING THE LEFT WING TIP ON THE JETWAY. I TURNED AWAY FROM THE GATE USING FULL RIGHT STEERING WHILE WATCHING THE MARSHALLER (GND CREWMAN) WHO WAS WATCHING ANOTHER GND CREWMAN POSITIONED NEARER TO THE JETWAY. AS THE ACFT TURNED I OBSERVED THE OK SIGNAL UNTIL THE WING CLRED THE JETWAY AND I LOST SIGHT OF THE MARSHALLER. THOUGH THE WING TIP CLRED, THE LEFT HORIZ STABILIZER TRAILING EDGE CORNER CONTACTED THE CANVAS OVERHANG OF THE JETWAY CAUSING MINIMUM DAMAGE BUT RESULTING IN A DELAYED DEP. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY: 1) HAVING THE MARSHALLER IN A POS WHERE HE CAN ALWAYS BE OBSERVED FROM THE COCKPIT OR BE IN COM WITH THE COCKPIT. 2) ESTABLISH POSITIVE CLRNC LIMITS FOR JETWAYS BY ACFT TYPE (WHICH IS STILL SPORTY), WHICH IF NOT MET WOULD REQUIRE A PUSHBACK. 3) PUSH BACK FROM ALL GATES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.