Narrative:

During pushback out of msp airport gate X, ground tug pushed our aircraft to face eastward. Aircraft was positioned far enough westward to allow another DC9 to enter the gate we vacated. ATC ground advised us to expect runway 30R and we advised the tug driver. As the tug was stopping, and prior to disconnecting from our aircraft, the arriving DC9 began to taxi into the gate X but had to stop 300-400 ft short. The arriving DC9 was not positioned well forward and left of our aircraft. After our disconnect from the tug, ground control advised us that they now wanted us to taxi to runway 30L and asked if we had enough room to clear the aircraft in front of us and execute a left turn out. I judged that we had sufficient clearance to make the turn. I applied power and started forward and then started a left turn. At approximately 90-100 degrees of turn we felt a bump as if the gear had run over something. I stopped the turn at about 120 degrees and we looked out to see if there was something that we might not have seen and ran over. We noticed 2 ramp personnel waving and signaling for us to hold position. I called maintenance control and they advised us that we had struck the horizontal stabilizer of an aircraft parked in the gate next to us, gate Y. We were then asked to taxi to another gate. After a visual inspection by ground personnel to ensure we were safe to taxi, we taxied to the gate and shut down the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ATTEMPTING A TIGHT 180 DEG TURN AFTER PUSHBACK FROM THEIR GATE IN MSP, DC9 STRIKES ACFT PARKED AT ADJACENT GATE WITH THEIR TAIL.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK OUT OF MSP ARPT GATE X, GND TUG PUSHED OUR ACFT TO FACE EASTWARD. ACFT WAS POSITIONED FAR ENOUGH WESTWARD TO ALLOW ANOTHER DC9 TO ENTER THE GATE WE VACATED. ATC GND ADVISED US TO EXPECT RWY 30R AND WE ADVISED THE TUG DRIVER. AS THE TUG WAS STOPPING, AND PRIOR TO DISCONNECTING FROM OUR ACFT, THE ARRIVING DC9 BEGAN TO TAXI INTO THE GATE X BUT HAD TO STOP 300-400 FT SHORT. THE ARRIVING DC9 WAS NOT POSITIONED WELL FORWARD AND L OF OUR ACFT. AFTER OUR DISCONNECT FROM THE TUG, GND CTL ADVISED US THAT THEY NOW WANTED US TO TAXI TO RWY 30L AND ASKED IF WE HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO CLR THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US AND EXECUTE A L TURN OUT. I JUDGED THAT WE HAD SUFFICIENT CLRNC TO MAKE THE TURN. I APPLIED PWR AND STARTED FORWARD AND THEN STARTED A L TURN. AT APPROX 90-100 DEGS OF TURN WE FELT A BUMP AS IF THE GEAR HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING. I STOPPED THE TURN AT ABOUT 120 DEGS AND WE LOOKED OUT TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN AND RAN OVER. WE NOTICED 2 RAMP PERSONNEL WAVING AND SIGNALING FOR US TO HOLD POS. I CALLED MAINT CTL AND THEY ADVISED US THAT WE HAD STRUCK THE HORIZ STABILIZER OF AN ACFT PARKED IN THE GATE NEXT TO US, GATE Y. WE WERE THEN ASKED TO TAXI TO ANOTHER GATE. AFTER A VISUAL INSPECTION BY GND PERSONNEL TO ENSURE WE WERE SAFE TO TAXI, WE TAXIED TO THE GATE AND SHUT DOWN THE ACFT.

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.