Narrative:

The large transport aircraft was pushed back from its parked position by ground personnel. Clearance to start engines was received by the ground man connected on interphone. The brakes were requested to be set while the tow bar was disconnected from the push out tractor. The ground crewman stated that all was clear below and the interphone was being disconnected. I received a departure salute from the ground man indicating it was clear to taxi away from the gate. The first officer contacted the ramp tower at ord to receive clearance to taxi out of the alley and was given that clearance. The first officer then indicated that all was clear to the right side of the aircraft, and I checked to see that the left side of the aircraft was clear. We began a slow movement forward about 8' and then I began a slow turn to the right for about 8' to position the aircraft toward the center of the alley where we could taxi out to our assigned runway. I felt the aircraft shudder slightly and stopped further movement. We set the brakes and asked the ramp tower if anything was in our vicinity. We were told to stand by. I was able to make contact visually with the original ground crew who had spotted us to the disconnect position on the ramp. The ground man advised, after re-establishing interphone contact, that our aircraft had made contact with another aircraft parked on a nearby gate. We asked for a tow to a completely different gate where we learned that the left stabilizer of our aircraft had touched and made contact with the left stabilizer of another company large transport Y at a gate very close to our original departure gate. The ground crew had not informed us of any potential threat to moving the aircraft, nor had the ramp tower indicated to us that further movement of the aircraft might jeopardize the security of other nearby aircraft. It was impossible to see our proximity to the aircraft behind us from the cockpit. This could have been prevented by the company utilizing 'disconnect spots' painted on the ramp, so that all ground crews ensure proper distance from other aircraft before issuing an all clear signal to the cockpit to being taxiing. Also, more careful vigilance by ramp tower personnel before issuing taxi clrncs would enhance ramp safety. West/O experienced and well trained support, the present operation of aircraft on and off those gates is potentially hazardous. There is too much variation in the location of aircraft being spotted for disconnect and a lack of vigilance of ground crews.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL OF ACR LGT HITS TAIL OF ANOTHER COMPANY LGT ON INITIAL TAXI FROM GATE AT ORD.

Narrative: THE LGT ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK FROM ITS PARKED POS BY GND PERSONNEL. CLRNC TO START ENGS WAS RECEIVED BY THE GND MAN CONNECTED ON INTERPHONE. THE BRAKES WERE REQUESTED TO BE SET WHILE THE TOW BAR WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE PUSH OUT TRACTOR. THE GND CREWMAN STATED THAT ALL WAS CLR BELOW AND THE INTERPHONE WAS BEING DISCONNECTED. I RECEIVED A DEP SALUTE FROM THE GND MAN INDICATING IT WAS CLR TO TAXI AWAY FROM THE GATE. THE F/O CONTACTED THE RAMP TWR AT ORD TO RECEIVE CLRNC TO TAXI OUT OF THE ALLEY AND WAS GIVEN THAT CLRNC. THE F/O THEN INDICATED THAT ALL WAS CLR TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ACFT, AND I CHKED TO SEE THAT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ACFT WAS CLR. WE BEGAN A SLOW MOVEMENT FORWARD ABOUT 8' AND THEN I BEGAN A SLOW TURN TO THE RIGHT FOR ABOUT 8' TO POS THE ACFT TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE ALLEY WHERE WE COULD TAXI OUT TO OUR ASSIGNED RWY. I FELT THE ACFT SHUDDER SLIGHTLY AND STOPPED FURTHER MOVEMENT. WE SET THE BRAKES AND ASKED THE RAMP TWR IF ANYTHING WAS IN OUR VICINITY. WE WERE TOLD TO STAND BY. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT VISUALLY WITH THE ORIGINAL GND CREW WHO HAD SPOTTED US TO THE DISCONNECT POS ON THE RAMP. THE GND MAN ADVISED, AFTER RE-ESTABLISHING INTERPHONE CONTACT, THAT OUR ACFT HAD MADE CONTACT WITH ANOTHER ACFT PARKED ON A NEARBY GATE. WE ASKED FOR A TOW TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GATE WHERE WE LEARNED THAT THE LEFT STABILIZER OF OUR ACFT HAD TOUCHED AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE LEFT STABILIZER OF ANOTHER COMPANY LGT Y AT A GATE VERY CLOSE TO OUR ORIGINAL DEP GATE. THE GND CREW HAD NOT INFORMED US OF ANY POTENTIAL THREAT TO MOVING THE ACFT, NOR HAD THE RAMP TWR INDICATED TO US THAT FURTHER MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT MIGHT JEOPARDIZE THE SECURITY OF OTHER NEARBY ACFT. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUR PROX TO THE ACFT BEHIND US FROM THE COCKPIT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY THE COMPANY UTILIZING 'DISCONNECT SPOTS' PAINTED ON THE RAMP, SO THAT ALL GND CREWS ENSURE PROPER DISTANCE FROM OTHER ACFT BEFORE ISSUING AN ALL CLR SIGNAL TO THE COCKPIT TO BEING TAXIING. ALSO, MORE CAREFUL VIGILANCE BY RAMP TWR PERSONNEL BEFORE ISSUING TAXI CLRNCS WOULD ENHANCE RAMP SAFETY. W/O EXPERIENCED AND WELL TRAINED SUPPORT, THE PRESENT OPERATION OF ACFT ON AND OFF THOSE GATES IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS. THERE IS TOO MUCH VARIATION IN THE LOCATION OF ACFT BEING SPOTTED FOR DISCONNECT AND A LACK OF VIGILANCE OF GND CREWS.

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.