Narrative:

The copilot received clearance to push back from the tower. The tower provided no advisory of any aircraft parked behind us. Relaying this clearance to our tug driver push back commenced following normal push back. We were pushed back to a point where we are normally pushed to when the airplane came to a stop. Once stopped there were several moments of shuttering. The tug driver then asked me if I knew what might be causing the shuttering. I checked the parking brake to be sure it was released. After the copilot and I checked all other cockpit indications to be sure they were normal, I advised the tug driver that I was unable to determine the cause for the shuttering from the cockpit. Moments later the tug driver advised me that we had just made contact with another airplane (B767). I then asked the tug driver if she could pull us forward, however, at this point she was unsure if she could. One or two mins later several other ramp people came out to assist in moving our aircraft back to the gate. Once at the gate and the parking checklist complete I stepped outside to have a look. My first glance was towards the ramp area behind our airplane. It was very dark. About 30 seconds would pass before my eyes would adjust to the darkness and begin to identify this dark, unlit airframe of this B767 above and behind us. I then moved over to our tug cabin attendant and glanced back at our airplane and area behind it. I was again surprised by the limited view a tug driver has. An adequate, clear view for the tug drier was marginal at best due to the obstruction of the airplane being pushed and the extreme darkness of the ramp. Ways to fix the problem: 1) floodlights directed toward dark ramp areas so objects will reflect some light, 2) logo lights, 3) a wing walker, and 4) a ramp control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was in a B737 and could not remember whether it was a 300 or 500. He stated the damage to the B767 consisted of the B767 APU being struck by the B737 horizontal stabilizer. The APU had to be replaced. The B767 had been pushed into an unusual position directly behind and close to the B737. The navigation lights on the B767 were on but due to the closeness and location went unnoticed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR RECEIVED PUSH BACK APPROVAL AND WAS PUSHED BACK INTO A B767. THERE WAS NO COMPANY REQUIREMENT FOR WING WALKERS AND THERE WERE NONE.

Narrative: THE COPLT RECEIVED CLRNC TO PUSH BACK FROM THE TWR. THE TWR PROVIDED NO ADVISORY OF ANY ACFT PARKED BEHIND US. RELAYING THIS CLRNC TO OUR TUG DRIVER PUSH BACK COMMENCED FOLLOWING NORMAL PUSH BACK. WE WERE PUSHED BACK TO A POINT WHERE WE ARE NORMALLY PUSHED TO WHEN THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP. ONCE STOPPED THERE WERE SEVERAL MOMENTS OF SHUTTERING. THE TUG DRIVER THEN ASKED ME IF I KNEW WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THE SHUTTERING. I CHKED THE PARKING BRAKE TO BE SURE IT WAS RELEASED. AFTER THE COPLT AND I CHKED ALL OTHER COCKPIT INDICATIONS TO BE SURE THEY WERE NORMAL, I ADVISED THE TUG DRIVER THAT I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE FOR THE SHUTTERING FROM THE COCKPIT. MOMENTS LATER THE TUG DRIVER ADVISED ME THAT WE HAD JUST MADE CONTACT WITH ANOTHER AIRPLANE (B767). I THEN ASKED THE TUG DRIVER IF SHE COULD PULL US FORWARD, HOWEVER, AT THIS POINT SHE WAS UNSURE IF SHE COULD. ONE OR TWO MINS LATER SEVERAL OTHER RAMP PEOPLE CAME OUT TO ASSIST IN MOVING OUR ACFT BACK TO THE GATE. ONCE AT THE GATE AND THE PARKING CHKLIST COMPLETE I STEPPED OUTSIDE TO HAVE A LOOK. MY FIRST GLANCE WAS TOWARDS THE RAMP AREA BEHIND OUR AIRPLANE. IT WAS VERY DARK. ABOUT 30 SECONDS WOULD PASS BEFORE MY EYES WOULD ADJUST TO THE DARKNESS AND BEGIN TO IDENT THIS DARK, UNLIT AIRFRAME OF THIS B767 ABOVE AND BEHIND US. I THEN MOVED OVER TO OUR TUG CAB AND GLANCED BACK AT OUR AIRPLANE AND AREA BEHIND IT. I WAS AGAIN SURPRISED BY THE LIMITED VIEW A TUG DRIVER HAS. AN ADEQUATE, CLR VIEW FOR THE TUG DRIER WAS MARGINAL AT BEST DUE TO THE OBSTRUCTION OF THE AIRPLANE BEING PUSHED AND THE EXTREME DARKNESS OF THE RAMP. WAYS TO FIX THE PROB: 1) FLOODLIGHTS DIRECTED TOWARD DARK RAMP AREAS SO OBJECTS WILL REFLECT SOME LIGHT, 2) LOGO LIGHTS, 3) A WING WALKER, AND 4) A RAMP CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS IN A B737 AND COULD NOT REMEMBER WHETHER IT WAS A 300 OR 500. HE STATED THE DAMAGE TO THE B767 CONSISTED OF THE B767 APU BEING STRUCK BY THE B737 HORIZ STABILIZER. THE APU HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE B767 HAD BEEN PUSHED INTO AN UNUSUAL POS DIRECTLY BEHIND AND CLOSE TO THE B737. THE NAV LIGHTS ON THE B767 WERE ON BUT DUE TO THE CLOSENESS AND LOCATION WENT UNNOTICED.

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.