After pushback from gate, released for taxi. Moving out from gate area tail of one large transport s...

Attributes
ACN	112131
Time
Date	198905
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	112131
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Pushback from gate B. Second officer was instructed by ramp to 'keep close so you don't block the lane,' and the captain relayed the message to our push crew. Everything during pushback and disconnect from ground crew was SOP. We had received clearance to start engine 3 and after the salute and release from our push crew, we started #1 and #2 engines. (When we were released from our push crew, the push crew pointed directly toward the alley way.) after push back from gate B, we were turned 90 degrees to our gate. Parked at gate C was a widebody transport and at gate 1 was an large transport. Unknown to us, the tail of our aircraft was close to the tail of the other large transport at gate a. We were not told that we were close to the tail of gate a airplane by the push crew. The push crew gave us their signal (salute and release from guidance), which means all is clear for us to taxi out. I cleared the right side as far as I could see (just my wing tip) and the captain started his turn into the alley way (after ATC clearance to taxi). He made a left turn and as he did so the nose wheel shimmied a bit (like it skipped in the pavement). I asked the captain if he thought that the nose wheel hit something, but he thought it was just skidding on the pavement. As we made the turn I checked my right side and the pavement was clear. We taxied out and as we were holding for takeoff the tower told us to call our company, and we were told by our company to taxi back to another gate. That was the very first time (at the new gate) when we knew something had happened. I feel that the push crew was at fault for pushing us so close (one tail to another aircraft). We just had started our turn (about a foot) before contact was made. The push crew never told us, but gave us the signal that all was clear.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER PUSHBACK FROM GATE, RELEASED FOR TAXI. MOVING OUT FROM GATE AREA TAIL OF ONE LGT STRUCK THE TAIL OF ANOTHER LGT STILL PARKED AT ITS GATE. FLT CREW WAS UNAWARE OF THEIR ACFT STRIKING THE OTHER UNTIL ADVISED BY COMPANY TO RETURN TO GATE. BOTH ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: PUSHBACK FROM GATE B. S/O WAS INSTRUCTED BY RAMP TO 'KEEP CLOSE SO YOU DON'T BLOCK THE LANE,' AND THE CAPT RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO OUR PUSH CREW. EVERYTHING DURING PUSHBACK AND DISCONNECT FROM GND CREW WAS SOP. WE HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO START ENG 3 AND AFTER THE SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM OUR PUSH CREW, WE STARTED #1 AND #2 ENGS. (WHEN WE WERE RELEASED FROM OUR PUSH CREW, THE PUSH CREW POINTED DIRECTLY TOWARD THE ALLEY WAY.) AFTER PUSH BACK FROM GATE B, WE WERE TURNED 90 DEGS TO OUR GATE. PARKED AT GATE C WAS A WDB AND AT GATE 1 WAS AN LGT. UNKNOWN TO US, THE TAIL OF OUR ACFT WAS CLOSE TO THE TAIL OF THE OTHER LGT AT GATE A. WE WERE NOT TOLD THAT WE WERE CLOSE TO THE TAIL OF GATE A AIRPLANE BY THE PUSH CREW. THE PUSH CREW GAVE US THEIR SIGNAL (SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE), WHICH MEANS ALL IS CLEAR FOR US TO TAXI OUT. I CLRED THE RIGHT SIDE AS FAR AS I COULD SEE (JUST MY WING TIP) AND THE CAPT STARTED HIS TURN INTO THE ALLEY WAY (AFTER ATC CLRNC TO TAXI). HE MADE A LEFT TURN AND AS HE DID SO THE NOSE WHEEL SHIMMIED A BIT (LIKE IT SKIPPED IN THE PAVEMENT). I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE THOUGHT THAT THE NOSE WHEEL HIT SOMETHING, BUT HE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST SKIDDING ON THE PAVEMENT. AS WE MADE THE TURN I CHKED MY RIGHT SIDE AND THE PAVEMENT WAS CLR. WE TAXIED OUT AND AS WE WERE HOLDING FOR TKOF THE TWR TOLD US TO CALL OUR COMPANY, AND WE WERE TOLD BY OUR COMPANY TO TAXI BACK TO ANOTHER GATE. THAT WAS THE VERY FIRST TIME (AT THE NEW GATE) WHEN WE KNEW SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED. I FEEL THAT THE PUSH CREW WAS AT FAULT FOR PUSHING US SO CLOSE (ONE TAIL TO ANOTHER ACFT). WE JUST HAD STARTED OUR TURN (ABOUT A FOOT) BEFORE CONTACT WAS MADE. THE PUSH CREW NEVER TOLD US, BUT GAVE US THE SIGNAL THAT ALL WAS CLR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

After pushback from gate, released for taxi. Moving out from gate area tail of one large transport struck the tail of another large transport still parked at its gate. Flight crew was unaware of their aircraft striking the other until advised by company to return to gate. Both aircraft damaged.