Narrative:

Aircraft parked at gate X at sfo with a widebody transport parked at next gate Y and an medium large transport parked at gate adjacent. Both airplanes at gates X and Y were scheduled for a PDT departure. Our flight was pushed back from gate X first and the airplane on gate Y pushed back after us. Our airplane was pushed back and turned parallel to the terminal with our nose pointed east. The airplane from adjacent gate Y was pushed back to a position off our left side between us and the inner taxiway and then pulled ahead of us. The mechanic who pushed us back gave us our salute and a release from guidance signal towards the inner taxiway. We started a left turn towards the inner taxiway and after approximately a 20 to 30 degree turn our vertical stabilizer impacted the left elevator of the widebody transport on next gate Y. We set the parking brakes and shut down the engines. Passenger were deplaned and escorted back to the terminal. I think this accident could have been prevented by a number of things. 1) don't schedule both airplanes on a double parked gate for pushback at the same time. This not only makes the pushback area more congested but makes the other pushed back airplane the focal point of the pilot's interest during initial taxi. 2) the mechanic should not have given us a salute and release from guidance signal when we were not clear of obstacles for our initial taxi. 3) when the mechanic disconnected from the airplane he should have said something about his positioning the aircraft so close to the one at gate Y that we could not turn as I could not see the aircraft.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER PUSHBACK AND TURNING OUT FROM GATE, MLG TAIL STRUCK WDB PARKED AT NEXT GATE.

Narrative: ACFT PARKED AT GATE X AT SFO WITH A WDB PARKED AT NEXT GATE Y AND AN MLG PARKED AT GATE ADJACENT. BOTH AIRPLANES AT GATES X AND Y WERE SCHEDULED FOR A PDT DEP. OUR FLT WAS PUSHED BACK FROM GATE X FIRST AND THE AIRPLANE ON GATE Y PUSHED BACK AFTER US. OUR AIRPLANE WAS PUSHED BACK AND TURNED PARALLEL TO THE TERMINAL WITH OUR NOSE POINTED E. THE AIRPLANE FROM ADJACENT GATE Y WAS PUSHED BACK TO A POS OFF OUR L SIDE BTWN US AND THE INNER TAXIWAY AND THEN PULLED AHEAD OF US. THE MECH WHO PUSHED US BACK GAVE US OUR SALUTE AND A RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE SIGNAL TOWARDS THE INNER TAXIWAY. WE STARTED A L TURN TOWARDS THE INNER TAXIWAY AND AFTER APPROX A 20 TO 30 DEG TURN OUR VERT STABILIZER IMPACTED THE L ELEVATOR OF THE WDB ON NEXT GATE Y. WE SET THE PARKING BRAKES AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES. PAX WERE DEPLANED AND ESCORTED BACK TO THE TERMINAL. I THINK THIS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY A NUMBER OF THINGS. 1) DON'T SCHEDULE BOTH AIRPLANES ON A DOUBLE PARKED GATE FOR PUSHBACK AT THE SAME TIME. THIS NOT ONLY MAKES THE PUSHBACK AREA MORE CONGESTED BUT MAKES THE OTHER PUSHED BACK AIRPLANE THE FOCAL POINT OF THE PLT'S INTEREST DURING INITIAL TAXI. 2) THE MECH SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN US A SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE SIGNAL WHEN WE WERE NOT CLR OF OBSTACLES FOR OUR INITIAL TAXI. 3) WHEN THE MECH DISCONNECTED FROM THE AIRPLANE HE SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT HIS POSITIONING THE ACFT SO CLOSE TO THE ONE AT GATE Y THAT WE COULD NOT TURN AS I COULD NOT SEE 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.