B727 pushed back from gate hit another B727 parked at adjoining gate. Both aircraft damaged.

Attributes
ACN	519642
Time
Date	200107
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	519642
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other other : 4 gnd personnel
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

During pushback from gate XXX, aircraft was pushed back into adjacent aircraft in gate YYY. The pushback from this gate is difficult. Maintenance may have been in a hurry because it had just started to rain. Also we were approximately 1 hour late. The aircraft being pushed (XXX) elevator contacted the tailcone of the parked one. Tailcone fiberglas was cracked and elevator of #XXX was damaged. Just prior to our push being stopped we felt a scrubbing like a tire chirping over rough concrete. The push stopped and maintenance said over ics that we'd hit another aircraft. Recommendations: 1) wing walkers must look up and point flashlights up. In this case, I believe no one was looking up high enough to see the clearance problem with the tails. 2) more experienced driver on tug. Aircraft needed to be s-turned out of gate and was not far enough back before turn was commenced. 3) brighter concrete markings for tug driver to use as guidelines.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 PUSHED BACK FROM GATE HIT ANOTHER B727 PARKED AT ADJOINING GATE. BOTH ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK FROM GATE XXX, ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK INTO ADJACENT ACFT IN GATE YYY. THE PUSHBACK FROM THIS GATE IS DIFFICULT. MAINT MAY HAVE BEEN IN A HURRY BECAUSE IT HAD JUST STARTED TO RAIN. ALSO WE WERE APPROX 1 HR LATE. THE ACFT BEING PUSHED (XXX) ELEVATOR CONTACTED THE TAILCONE OF THE PARKED ONE. TAILCONE FIBERGLAS WAS CRACKED AND ELEVATOR OF #XXX WAS DAMAGED. JUST PRIOR TO OUR PUSH BEING STOPPED WE FELT A SCRUBBING LIKE A TIRE CHIRPING OVER ROUGH CONCRETE. THE PUSH STOPPED AND MAINT SAID OVER ICS THAT WE'D HIT ANOTHER ACFT. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) WING WALKERS MUST LOOK UP AND POINT FLASHLIGHTS UP. IN THIS CASE, I BELIEVE NO ONE WAS LOOKING UP HIGH ENOUGH TO SEE THE CLRNC PROB WITH THE TAILS. 2) MORE EXPERIENCED DRIVER ON TUG. ACFT NEEDED TO BE S-TURNED OUT OF GATE AND WAS NOT FAR ENOUGH BACK BEFORE TURN WAS COMMENCED. 3) BRIGHTER CONCRETE MARKINGS FOR TUG DRIVER TO USE AS GUIDELINES.

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.