Narrative:

During pushback (under tow) our pushback crew impacted a B737 aircraft positioned behind us. We had not been cleared to start engines yet when the tug put on the brakes and we came to an abrupt stop. The tug driver stated that we hit something. We were then pulled forward back to our gate. We made sure that no injuries had occurred there was substantial damage to our elevator and the rudder on the B737. Supplemental information from acn 500337: I received clearance to push from flight crew when inbound B737 passed. Seeing the safety guide person in position when the B737 passed by and turned in to the gate, which is directly behind our gate, waiting until I assumed it was clear of the taxiway, I started pushing back. At some point during the time I was pushing, concentrating on turning the aircraft to align with the taxiway, watching nosewheel, tow bar position, looking for possible vehicles in the area, wing position, clearance, etc, the B737 did stop waiting for a marshaller and we met, rather softly, MD80 elevator to B737 rudder creating some very expensive damage. After seeing the damage, I decided it was best returning to the gate to avoid any possible resulting accident or discomfort to our passenger during possible chute deployment, and to free up the taxiway, informing the flight crew I towed the aircraft back to the gate. Unfortunately, I had lost track or sight of my eyes (my safety guide) who was trying to signal me of the danger and stop me. The policy at our company is to use one safety guide person for dispatching a flight. It's interesting to note the other acrs at logan are using 3 safety guide persons per dispatch. A second guide person could have prevented this accident. Audio conflict between the tractor driver and guide person most definitely would have.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON MD80 PUSHBACK, TUG DRIVER LOSES VISUAL CONTACT WITH SAFETY GUIDE, AND MD80 MAKES CONTACT WITH PARKING B737.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK (UNDER TOW) OUR PUSHBACK CREW IMPACTED A B737 ACFT POSITIONED BEHIND US. WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO START ENGS YET WHEN THE TUG PUT ON THE BRAKES AND WE CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. THE TUG DRIVER STATED THAT WE HIT SOMETHING. WE WERE THEN PULLED FORWARD BACK TO OUR GATE. WE MADE SURE THAT NO INJURIES HAD OCCURRED THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO OUR ELEVATOR AND THE RUDDER ON THE B737. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 500337: I RECEIVED CLRNC TO PUSH FROM FLC WHEN INBOUND B737 PASSED. SEEING THE SAFETY GUIDE PERSON IN POS WHEN THE B737 PASSED BY AND TURNED IN TO THE GATE, WHICH IS DIRECTLY BEHIND OUR GATE, WAITING UNTIL I ASSUMED IT WAS CLR OF THE TXWY, I STARTED PUSHING BACK. AT SOME POINT DURING THE TIME I WAS PUSHING, CONCENTRATING ON TURNING THE ACFT TO ALIGN WITH THE TXWY, WATCHING NOSEWHEEL, TOW BAR POS, LOOKING FOR POSSIBLE VEHICLES IN THE AREA, WING POS, CLRNC, ETC, THE B737 DID STOP WAITING FOR A MARSHALLER AND WE MET, RATHER SOFTLY, MD80 ELEVATOR TO B737 RUDDER CREATING SOME VERY EXPENSIVE DAMAGE. AFTER SEEING THE DAMAGE, I DECIDED IT WAS BEST RETURNING TO THE GATE TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE RESULTING ACCIDENT OR DISCOMFORT TO OUR PAX DURING POSSIBLE CHUTE DEPLOYMENT, AND TO FREE UP THE TXWY, INFORMING THE FLC I TOWED THE ACFT BACK TO THE GATE. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD LOST TRACK OR SIGHT OF MY EYES (MY SAFETY GUIDE) WHO WAS TRYING TO SIGNAL ME OF THE DANGER AND STOP ME. THE POLICY AT OUR COMPANY IS TO USE ONE SAFETY GUIDE PERSON FOR DISPATCHING A FLT. IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THE OTHER ACRS AT LOGAN ARE USING 3 SAFETY GUIDE PERSONS PER DISPATCH. A SECOND GUIDE PERSON COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ACCIDENT. AUDIO CONFLICT BTWN THE TRACTOR DRIVER AND GUIDE PERSON MOST DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE.

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.