One B737-ng strikes another at an adjacent gate during push back.

Attributes
ACN	811347
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	811347
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	811346
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : flc 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We had just arrived at the aircraft to start our day. Boarding had not yet begun. The first officer had completed his walkaround and I was finishing up my preflight when our plane shook violently. We assumed that we had been hit by a provisioning truck or some other ground equipment. I jumped out of my seat and ran to look out the jetway door. I saw that the aircraft from the adjoining gate had collided with ours during their push. Their right winglet trailing edge had crunched into our left winglet leading edge. I went back to the cockpit and called dispatch. My first officer went back to the cabin to reassure the few through-passenger who were onboard during the collision. I wrote up the damage in the logbook and spoke with the company mechanic at ZZZ. Supplemental information from acn 811346: on pushback; we had just initiated #2 engine start. The aircraft turned tail right when we were planning tail left for runway. Then we started to turn back tail left when the aircraft stopped suddenly. It felt as if the tow bar broke. The captain called to the tug driver to see if he was ok. There was no answer. He called about 3-4 times concerned about the driver. He said to abort the start. I tried to see the tug driver outside and saw exhaust smoke starting to come from the tug. We started to move forward. I was relieved he must not have been hurt and turned my attention outside. I saw that our wingtip had hit the aircraft next to us. I informed the captain our wingtip had hit and was damaged. About that time the tug driver finally answered him and said; 'I'm sorry; I just hit the plane next to you;' and pulled us back on to the gate. The captain made an announcement at the gate. The tug driver did not see the wing walker trying to stop him. They need to focus; slow down; and don't move the aircraft without being assured of safety and all aircraft clrncs. It shouldn't have happened. Beautiful clear day; on time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ONE B737-NG STRIKES ANOTHER AT AN ADJACENT GATE DURING PUSH BACK.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST ARRIVED AT THE ACFT TO START OUR DAY. BOARDING HAD NOT YET BEGUN. THE FO HAD COMPLETED HIS WALKAROUND AND I WAS FINISHING UP MY PREFLT WHEN OUR PLANE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. WE ASSUMED THAT WE HAD BEEN HIT BY A PROVISIONING TRUCK OR SOME OTHER GND EQUIP. I JUMPED OUT OF MY SEAT AND RAN TO LOOK OUT THE JETWAY DOOR. I SAW THAT THE ACFT FROM THE ADJOINING GATE HAD COLLIDED WITH OURS DURING THEIR PUSH. THEIR R WINGLET TRAILING EDGE HAD CRUNCHED INTO OUR L WINGLET LEADING EDGE. I WENT BACK TO THE COCKPIT AND CALLED DISPATCH. MY FO WENT BACK TO THE CABIN TO REASSURE THE FEW THROUGH-PAX WHO WERE ONBOARD DURING THE COLLISION. I WROTE UP THE DAMAGE IN THE LOGBOOK AND SPOKE WITH THE COMPANY MECH AT ZZZ. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 811346: ON PUSHBACK; WE HAD JUST INITIATED #2 ENG START. THE ACFT TURNED TAIL R WHEN WE WERE PLANNING TAIL L FOR RWY. THEN WE STARTED TO TURN BACK TAIL L WHEN THE ACFT STOPPED SUDDENLY. IT FELT AS IF THE TOW BAR BROKE. THE CAPT CALLED TO THE TUG DRIVER TO SEE IF HE WAS OK. THERE WAS NO ANSWER. HE CALLED ABOUT 3-4 TIMES CONCERNED ABOUT THE DRIVER. HE SAID TO ABORT THE START. I TRIED TO SEE THE TUG DRIVER OUTSIDE AND SAW EXHAUST SMOKE STARTING TO COME FROM THE TUG. WE STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD. I WAS RELIEVED HE MUST NOT HAVE BEEN HURT AND TURNED MY ATTN OUTSIDE. I SAW THAT OUR WINGTIP HAD HIT THE ACFT NEXT TO US. I INFORMED THE CAPT OUR WINGTIP HAD HIT AND WAS DAMAGED. ABOUT THAT TIME THE TUG DRIVER FINALLY ANSWERED HIM AND SAID; 'I'M SORRY; I JUST HIT THE PLANE NEXT TO YOU;' AND PULLED US BACK ON TO THE GATE. THE CAPT MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE GATE. THE TUG DRIVER DID NOT SEE THE WING WALKER TRYING TO STOP HIM. THEY NEED TO FOCUS; SLOW DOWN; AND DON'T MOVE THE ACFT WITHOUT BEING ASSURED OF SAFETY AND ALL ACFT CLRNCS. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. BEAUTIFUL CLEAR DAY; ON TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.