During pushback, with wing walkers, aircraft pushed into parked aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	322832
Time
Date	199512
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sdf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	322932
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The left wingtip area and left position lights were damaged on this flight during pushback. Per standard procedure, I was in interphone contact with the tug driver and the first officer was monitoring ramp control. We were cleared by ramp control to push back from gate xx, tail north. Pushback was normal until established in the turn to tail north. We were in the process of starting the #2 engine when the aircraft and tug came to an abrupt, but not violent halt with the towbar at approximately a 45 degree angle. I initially thought there was a problem with the tug or towbar and assumed the driver was busy. A flight attendant called from the aft of the aircraft to report that she thought we had struck another aircraft. I informed the tug driver who verified this and the aircraft was towed back to gate. The parking checklist was completed and the voice recorder circuit breaker pulled. No crew or passenger were injured. I evaluated the damage personally and after consulting with aircraft maintenance, the aircraft was OTS. We had no indication of any problem before contacting the other aircraft from either ramp or the tug driver. We were in the process of starting the engines and were looking at the engine instruments when this occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING PUSHBACK, WITH WING WALKERS, ACFT PUSHED INTO PARKED ACFT.

Narrative: THE L WINGTIP AREA AND L POS LIGHTS WERE DAMAGED ON THIS FLT DURING PUSHBACK. PER STANDARD PROC, I WAS IN INTERPHONE CONTACT WITH THE TUG DRIVER AND THE FO WAS MONITORING RAMP CTL. WE WERE CLRED BY RAMP CTL TO PUSH BACK FROM GATE XX, TAIL N. PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL UNTIL ESTABLISHED IN THE TURN TO TAIL N. WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING THE #2 ENG WHEN THE ACFT AND TUG CAME TO AN ABRUPT, BUT NOT VIOLENT HALT WITH THE TOWBAR AT APPROX A 45 DEG ANGLE. I INITIALLY THOUGHT THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE TUG OR TOWBAR AND ASSUMED THE DRIVER WAS BUSY. A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED FROM THE AFT OF THE ACFT TO RPT THAT SHE THOUGHT WE HAD STRUCK ANOTHER ACFT. I INFORMED THE TUG DRIVER WHO VERIFIED THIS AND THE ACFT WAS TOWED BACK TO GATE. THE PARKING CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED AND THE VOICE RECORDER CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED. NO CREW OR PAX WERE INJURED. I EVALUATED THE DAMAGE PERSONALLY AND AFTER CONSULTING WITH ACFT MAINT, THE ACFT WAS OTS. WE HAD NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB BEFORE CONTACTING THE OTHER ACFT FROM EITHER RAMP OR THE TUG DRIVER. WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING THE ENGS AND WERE LOOKING AT THE ENG INSTS WHEN THIS OCCURRED.

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.