Narrative:

Taxiing out of gate ab at clt the marshaller gave me a signal to turn right out of the spot. There was another DHC8 parked on spot/gate AC. Due to the close proximity I further slowed down to an almost stop as the 2 wingtips came close during the turn out. The signalman was positioned under the wingtips giving a 'thumps-up' signal all the time so I slowly continued the turn, however, our left wingtip struck the other aircraft wingtip, at which point I stopped and shut down engines to deplane passenger. Damage to my airplane: strobe light and lens cap. Damage to the other (parked) airplane: 1-1/2 square inch hole on forward tip of left aileron. Comments: pilots depend (specially at night) on the signalman (wingman, marshaller) to ensure there is proper clearance between airplanes (obstructions) during pushbacks and taxi-outs, since it's hard for us to judge distances from the cockpit under such conditions. The marshaller should have given me a 'stop' signal when the wingtips were within a 1 ft distance (at least) and request an alternative action (I would have requested at that point) a tow-out instead. Marshallers should be trained to stop the maneuver when clrncs are too close (1-2 ft). Airplane should have been marshalled out with a left turn instead and pilots warned that they should not accept a right turn out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING OFF GATE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A MARSHALLER, ACFT STRUCK ANOTHER ACFT, WINGTIP TO WINGTIP.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT OF GATE AB AT CLT THE MARSHALLER GAVE ME A SIGNAL TO TURN R OUT OF THE SPOT. THERE WAS ANOTHER DHC8 PARKED ON SPOT/GATE AC. DUE TO THE CLOSE PROX I FURTHER SLOWED DOWN TO AN ALMOST STOP AS THE 2 WINGTIPS CAME CLOSE DURING THE TURN OUT. THE SIGNALMAN WAS POSITIONED UNDER THE WINGTIPS GIVING A 'THUMPS-UP' SIGNAL ALL THE TIME SO I SLOWLY CONTINUED THE TURN, HOWEVER, OUR L WINGTIP STRUCK THE OTHER ACFT WINGTIP, AT WHICH POINT I STOPPED AND SHUT DOWN ENGS TO DEPLANE PAX. DAMAGE TO MY AIRPLANE: STROBE LIGHT AND LENS CAP. DAMAGE TO THE OTHER (PARKED) AIRPLANE: 1-1/2 SQUARE INCH HOLE ON FORWARD TIP OF L AILERON. COMMENTS: PLTS DEPEND (SPECIALLY AT NIGHT) ON THE SIGNALMAN (WINGMAN, MARSHALLER) TO ENSURE THERE IS PROPER CLRNC BTWN AIRPLANES (OBSTRUCTIONS) DURING PUSHBACKS AND TAXI-OUTS, SINCE IT'S HARD FOR US TO JUDGE DISTANCES FROM THE COCKPIT UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS. THE MARSHALLER SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME A 'STOP' SIGNAL WHEN THE WINGTIPS WERE WITHIN A 1 FT DISTANCE (AT LEAST) AND REQUEST AN ALTERNATIVE ACTION (I WOULD HAVE REQUESTED AT THAT POINT) A TOW-OUT INSTEAD. MARSHALLERS SHOULD BE TRAINED TO STOP THE MANEUVER WHEN CLRNCS ARE TOO CLOSE (1-2 FT). AIRPLANE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MARSHALLED OUT WITH A L TURN INSTEAD AND PLTS WARNED THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ACCEPT A R TURN OUT.

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.