Narrative:

After the remaining 3 power plants were started and all other company checklists were completed, the ground handler directed a r-hand turn. The crew completely unaware of the fact that their aircraft had been positioned in close proximity to another aircraft, initiated their right turn. About half way through the turn contact was made. The aircraft elevators met, resulting in aircraft damage to both aircraft. The crew noted a 'flutter' in the control column and came to an immediate stop at which time they were advised via radio (ground frequency) that their aircraft had contacted another. The crew then taxied their aircraft back to their parking spot without further incident. The crew then completed the company shutdown checklist and proceeded to inspect the damage on both aircraft. The proper notification procedures per company were followed and completed. From the time of the actual incident to the crew being released to go back to the hotel was a staggering 5 hours and 10 mins. All this was a direct result of very poor and unacceptable ground handling performance by the contracted ground handlers and their positioning both aircraft in harm's way! Furthermore mis-directing the crew taxiing their aircraft. All the above has resulted in damage to both aircraft, 'down time' for both crew and aircraft, and an incident filed on the crew's airmen's record in okc (FAA records). Contributing factors involved 1 ground handler working without the aid of wing walkers directing a large (DC8-63) aircraft in close confines of another large (DC8-63) aircraft. Improper snow removal rendering both position ramp markings and taxiway lighting useless due to snow coverage. Corrective actions are obviously needed with regard to the lack of ground handling personnel as well as their lack of training. Snow removal improvements should be directed to the port auths at the bdl airport, particularly the cargo ramp area involved in the above incident. In closing, the sad part about all this was the fact that the crew taxiing their damaged aircraft were notified by another witness other than the ground handling contractors! Perhaps with a proper control check of the aircraft controls with no indication of abnormal behavior and without the notification of the other witness to this incident, think of the possible outcome.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CARGO DC8 TAXIING OUT FROM THE PARKING SPOT WITH THE GUIDANCE OF A GND HANDLER HITS A PARKED DC8. THE ACFT RETURNED TO THE GATE AND THE FLT WAS CANCELED. THE FO RPTR FAULTS THE GND HANDLER FOR MISDIRECTING THE FLC.

Narrative: AFTER THE REMAINING 3 PWR PLANTS WERE STARTED AND ALL OTHER COMPANY CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED, THE GND HANDLER DIRECTED A R-HAND TURN. THE CREW COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE FACT THAT THEIR ACFT HAD BEEN POSITIONED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ANOTHER ACFT, INITIATED THEIR R TURN. ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN CONTACT WAS MADE. THE ACFT ELEVATORS MET, RESULTING IN ACFT DAMAGE TO BOTH ACFT. THE CREW NOTED A 'FLUTTER' IN THE CTL COLUMN AND CAME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP AT WHICH TIME THEY WERE ADVISED VIA RADIO (GND FREQ) THAT THEIR ACFT HAD CONTACTED ANOTHER. THE CREW THEN TAXIED THEIR ACFT BACK TO THEIR PARKING SPOT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CREW THEN COMPLETED THE COMPANY SHUTDOWN CHKLIST AND PROCEEDED TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE ON BOTH ACFT. THE PROPER NOTIFICATION PROCS PER COMPANY WERE FOLLOWED AND COMPLETED. FROM THE TIME OF THE ACTUAL INCIDENT TO THE CREW BEING RELEASED TO GO BACK TO THE HOTEL WAS A STAGGERING 5 HRS AND 10 MINS. ALL THIS WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF VERY POOR AND UNACCEPTABLE GND HANDLING PERFORMANCE BY THE CONTRACTED GND HANDLERS AND THEIR POSITIONING BOTH ACFT IN HARM'S WAY! FURTHERMORE MIS-DIRECTING THE CREW TAXIING THEIR ACFT. ALL THE ABOVE HAS RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO BOTH ACFT, 'DOWN TIME' FOR BOTH CREW AND ACFT, AND AN INCIDENT FILED ON THE CREW'S AIRMEN'S RECORD IN OKC (FAA RECORDS). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INVOLVED 1 GND HANDLER WORKING WITHOUT THE AID OF WING WALKERS DIRECTING A LARGE (DC8-63) ACFT IN CLOSE CONFINES OF ANOTHER LARGE (DC8-63) ACFT. IMPROPER SNOW REMOVAL RENDERING BOTH POS RAMP MARKINGS AND TXWY LIGHTING USELESS DUE TO SNOW COVERAGE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ARE OBVIOUSLY NEEDED WITH REGARD TO THE LACK OF GND HANDLING PERSONNEL AS WELL AS THEIR LACK OF TRAINING. SNOW REMOVAL IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE PORT AUTHS AT THE BDL ARPT, PARTICULARLY THE CARGO RAMP AREA INVOLVED IN THE ABOVE INCIDENT. IN CLOSING, THE SAD PART ABOUT ALL THIS WAS THE FACT THAT THE CREW TAXIING THEIR DAMAGED ACFT WERE NOTIFIED BY ANOTHER WITNESS OTHER THAN THE GND HANDLING CONTRACTORS! PERHAPS WITH A PROPER CTL CHK OF THE ACFT CTLS WITH NO INDICATION OF ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR AND WITHOUT THE NOTIFICATION OF THE OTHER WITNESS TO THIS INCIDENT, THINK OF THE POSSIBLE OUTCOME.

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.