Narrative:

I was captain of an medium large transport commercial carrier which had a taxi- out incident, striking it's tail against a jetway. After a normal single engine start of the left engine, a tight 180 degree right turn was made out of gate at ind. While following the marshaller's signals, a bump was felt. The aircraft was stopped. It was later learned that the left horizontal stabilizer had contacted the jetway. It was also learned that the jetway had not been positioned properly to allow for tail clearance during taxi. Apparently there was a mixup between the marshaller, who thought the aircraft would power out of the gate, and the jetway operator who planned on a pushback. The jetway, therefore, was not fully repositioned and was grazed by the tip of the aircraft's left rear stabilizer. Damage to the stabilizer was substantial, breaking off a chunk of wing surface about 18 inch square. In retrospect, I think pushbacks by a tug should be considered in areas where an aircraft is sandwiched by other aircraft and must make a 180 degree turn within its own parking space. Any turns beyond about 135 degree are blind to the pilot with respect to tail clearance. Unless other people have done their job correctly, a tail strike is a very real possibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL OF MLG HIT JETWAY WHILE MAKING A HARD R TURN AFTER GATE DEP.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF AN MLG COMMERCIAL CARRIER WHICH HAD A TAXI- OUT INCIDENT, STRIKING IT'S TAIL AGAINST A JETWAY. AFTER A NORMAL SINGLE ENG START OF THE L ENG, A TIGHT 180 DEG R TURN WAS MADE OUT OF GATE AT IND. WHILE FOLLOWING THE MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS, A BUMP WAS FELT. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED. IT WAS LATER LEARNED THAT THE L HORIZ STABILIZER HAD CONTACTED THE JETWAY. IT WAS ALSO LEARNED THAT THE JETWAY HAD NOT BEEN POSITIONED PROPERLY TO ALLOW FOR TAIL CLRNC DURING TAXI. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A MIXUP BTWN THE MARSHALLER, WHO THOUGHT THE ACFT WOULD PWR OUT OF THE GATE, AND THE JETWAY OPERATOR WHO PLANNED ON A PUSHBACK. THE JETWAY, THEREFORE, WAS NOT FULLY REPOSITIONED AND WAS GRAZED BY THE TIP OF THE ACFT'S L REAR STABILIZER. DAMAGE TO THE STABILIZER WAS SUBSTANTIAL, BREAKING OFF A CHUNK OF WING SURFACE ABOUT 18 INCH SQUARE. IN RETROSPECT, I THINK PUSHBACKS BY A TUG SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN AREAS WHERE AN ACFT IS SANDWICHED BY OTHER ACFT AND MUST MAKE A 180 DEG TURN WITHIN ITS OWN PARKING SPACE. ANY TURNS BEYOND ABOUT 135 DEG ARE BLIND TO THE PLT WITH RESPECT TO TAIL CLRNC. UNLESS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DONE THEIR JOB CORRECTLY, A TAIL STRIKE IS A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY.

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.