Narrative:

During pushback from gate, the headset operator and tug driver (along with a left wing wingwalker and assistant on the tug) apparently allowed our right horizontal stabilizer to pass over the left horizontal stabilizer of another aircraft of the same type parked at the gate next to ours. I set brakes and was told that we had hit another aircraft. The bottom portion of our right stabilizer struck the top portion of the other aircraft's left stabilizer, knocking off a static wick on the other aircraft. 2 gouges were made in the skin on the bottom outer portion of our right stabilizer. Maintenance deflated our nose strut to raise our tail so there would be enough separation for us to be pulled back to the gate. Passenger were deplaned, the other aircraft was inspected, MEL'ed and released. Our aircraft was inspected, minor repairs were made and we were released. Although I had no control of my aircraft during pushback, I did find out later that a procedure was in effect not to push aircraft straight back at this gate due to construction workers. I believe that the tight turn made during pushback to comply with that directive was one cause of this incident. The more obvious causes of inattn and lack of position awareness will have to be addressed by the ground workers and their supervisors combined.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 ACR MLG COLLIDED ON PUSHBACK.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK FROM GATE, THE HEADSET OPERATOR AND TUG DRIVER (ALONG WITH A L WING WINGWALKER AND ASSISTANT ON THE TUG) APPARENTLY ALLOWED OUR R HORIZ STABILIZER TO PASS OVER THE L HORIZ STABILIZER OF ANOTHER ACFT OF THE SAME TYPE PARKED AT THE GATE NEXT TO OURS. I SET BRAKES AND WAS TOLD THAT WE HAD HIT ANOTHER ACFT. THE BOTTOM PORTION OF OUR R STABILIZER STRUCK THE TOP PORTION OF THE OTHER ACFT'S L STABILIZER, KNOCKING OFF A STATIC WICK ON THE OTHER ACFT. 2 GOUGES WERE MADE IN THE SKIN ON THE BOTTOM OUTER PORTION OF OUR R STABILIZER. MAINT DEFLATED OUR NOSE STRUT TO RAISE OUR TAIL SO THERE WOULD BE ENOUGH SEPARATION FOR US TO BE PULLED BACK TO THE GATE. PAX WERE DEPLANED, THE OTHER ACFT WAS INSPECTED, MEL'ED AND RELEASED. OUR ACFT WAS INSPECTED, MINOR REPAIRS WERE MADE AND WE WERE RELEASED. ALTHOUGH I HAD NO CTL OF MY ACFT DURING PUSHBACK, I DID FIND OUT LATER THAT A PROC WAS IN EFFECT NOT TO PUSH ACFT STRAIGHT BACK AT THIS GATE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS. I BELIEVE THAT THE TIGHT TURN MADE DURING PUSHBACK TO COMPLY WITH THAT DIRECTIVE WAS ONE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. THE MORE OBVIOUS CAUSES OF INATTN AND LACK OF POS AWARENESS WILL HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE GND WORKERS AND THEIR SUPVRS COMBINED.

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.