Narrative:

On arrival at mdw we were assigned to park at gate which is on the side of a concourse close in to the terminal. I mistakenly taxied into the alleyway on the east side of concourse a where the odd number gates are. Once in the alley there was no place to turn around except at the far end in the area of gate. I taxied into the gate area and made a u-turn and taxied back to gate. In making the turn the extreme outboard under portion of the left horizontal stabilizer knocked a static wick off of the aircraft on gate. The static wick made a small cut in the underside of my stabilizer. My primary concern in making the turn was that I had wing clearance and that the jet blast not endanger equipment or personnel. I forgot about tail growth during the turn. Corrective action: stress conservative taxiing on the ground. We got so used to taxiing in tight areas that we begin to overestimate our ability with the aircraft. I guess if the area looks tight at all be conservative and shut down and ask for a tug. Another thought is that you get in a tight spot by thinking you know exactly what you are doing. Have parked at gate X many times. I know where it is but for some reason hat day I got things turned around in my mind and went to the wrong side of the concourse all the time thinking I knew exactly what I was doing. Supplemental information from acn 265967: as we taxied in, I was completing my cockpit cleanup procedures, and as we turned into the parking area, I didn't notice anything unusual (i.e., odd number gates). Airlines ground personnel was in the vicinity of gate. I believe he was loading aircraft Y. Initially I saw this individual signal us to stop, then it looked as though he waved us on to continue. This man was on the left side of the aircraft during the turn right. I lost sight of him. Upon arrival at the gate, we were notified about our incident with aircraft Y. Neither the captain nor I felt the collision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TFC INCURS ACFT DAMAGE TO 2 ACFT.

Narrative: ON ARR AT MDW WE WERE ASSIGNED TO PARK AT GATE WHICH IS ON THE SIDE OF A CONCOURSE CLOSE IN TO THE TERMINAL. I MISTAKENLY TAXIED INTO THE ALLEYWAY ON THE E SIDE OF CONCOURSE A WHERE THE ODD NUMBER GATES ARE. ONCE IN THE ALLEY THERE WAS NO PLACE TO TURN AROUND EXCEPT AT THE FAR END IN THE AREA OF GATE. I TAXIED INTO THE GATE AREA AND MADE A U-TURN AND TAXIED BACK TO GATE. IN MAKING THE TURN THE EXTREME OUTBOARD UNDER PORTION OF THE L HORIZ STABILIZER KNOCKED A STATIC WICK OFF OF THE ACFT ON GATE. THE STATIC WICK MADE A SMALL CUT IN THE UNDERSIDE OF MY STABILIZER. MY PRIMARY CONCERN IN MAKING THE TURN WAS THAT I HAD WING CLRNC AND THAT THE JET BLAST NOT ENDANGER EQUIP OR PERSONNEL. I FORGOT ABOUT TAIL GROWTH DURING THE TURN. CORRECTIVE ACTION: STRESS CONSERVATIVE TAXIING ON THE GND. WE GOT SO USED TO TAXIING IN TIGHT AREAS THAT WE BEGIN TO OVERESTIMATE OUR ABILITY WITH THE ACFT. I GUESS IF THE AREA LOOKS TIGHT AT ALL BE CONSERVATIVE AND SHUT DOWN AND ASK FOR A TUG. ANOTHER THOUGHT IS THAT YOU GET IN A TIGHT SPOT BY THINKING YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING. HAVE PARKED AT GATE X MANY TIMES. I KNOW WHERE IT IS BUT FOR SOME REASON HAT DAY I GOT THINGS TURNED AROUND IN MY MIND AND WENT TO THE WRONG SIDE OF THE CONCOURSE ALL THE TIME THINKING I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS DOING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 265967: AS WE TAXIED IN, I WAS COMPLETING MY COCKPIT CLEANUP PROCS, AND AS WE TURNED INTO THE PARKING AREA, I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL (I.E., ODD NUMBER GATES). AIRLINES GND PERSONNEL WAS IN THE VICINITY OF GATE. I BELIEVE HE WAS LOADING ACFT Y. INITIALLY I SAW THIS INDIVIDUAL SIGNAL US TO STOP, THEN IT LOOKED AS THOUGH HE WAVED US ON TO CONTINUE. THIS MAN WAS ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT DURING THE TURN R. I LOST SIGHT OF HIM. UPON ARR AT THE GATE, WE WERE NOTIFIED ABOUT OUR INCIDENT WITH ACFT Y. NEITHER THE CAPT NOR I FELT THE COLLISION.

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.