Narrative:

Pushback from gate X (stl) began at XA00 local. Both engines were started at the gate due to inoperative APU. Pushback was normal. Pushback crew stated he had pushed us back short and asked me to park the brakes. He asked if I could taxi out from that position and I responded that I could. During the tow bar disconnect, the crew had difficulty disconnecting the tow bar and they jolted and banged the aircraft around. The tug was close to 90 degrees to the aircraft. The tow bar was finally disconnected (it took several mins), and we were cleared and given a salute to taxi. Taxi to the left was initiated and almost immediately a loud sound and shaking occurred in the area of the nosewheel. I immediately stopped the aircraft. I felt that something had broken on the nosewheel due to the tow bar disconnect problem. I requested line maintenance and they quickly plugged in and we discussed my concern. I was assured by line maintenance that no damage was visible. He disconnected and I began a normal taxi out after the salute. No problems were felt or experienced and I proceeded to taxi. At that time ground control said that our company had requested we return to the gate because of possible damage to our aircraft. I parked at gate and was informed that we had damage to our right horizontal stabilizer due to impact with the tail of the MD80 that was parked at the next gate to the right. During the time from start to stop, I feel operations and procedures were normal. It is not unusual in stl to be pushed back to many different position with reference to the gates. Sometimes you will be pushed 'deep' and sometimes you will be pushed 'short.' I honestly felt no concern because the aircraft was surrounded by wing walkers. Supplemental information from acn 538554: tow bar disconnect was so rough, flight attendants in tail felt the jolts. Received salute, flashed light, clear left, clear right, and started taxi. Left turnout. Immediately, after traveling a few ft, heard loud noises and jerking coming from nose gear area. Experienced difficulty in steering, stopped aircraft. Signaled ground crew to return and called maintenance. Damage to the elevators on our aircraft and parked aircraft at gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND CONFLICT AND 2 ACFT DAMAGED DURING AN MD80 GATE DEP PROC AT NIGHT IN STL, MO.

Narrative: PUSHBACK FROM GATE X (STL) BEGAN AT XA00 LCL. BOTH ENGS WERE STARTED AT THE GATE DUE TO INOP APU. PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL. PUSHBACK CREW STATED HE HAD PUSHED US BACK SHORT AND ASKED ME TO PARK THE BRAKES. HE ASKED IF I COULD TAXI OUT FROM THAT POS AND I RESPONDED THAT I COULD. DURING THE TOW BAR DISCONNECT, THE CREW HAD DIFFICULTY DISCONNECTING THE TOW BAR AND THEY JOLTED AND BANGED THE ACFT AROUND. THE TUG WAS CLOSE TO 90 DEGS TO THE ACFT. THE TOW BAR WAS FINALLY DISCONNECTED (IT TOOK SEVERAL MINS), AND WE WERE CLRED AND GIVEN A SALUTE TO TAXI. TAXI TO THE L WAS INITIATED AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY A LOUD SOUND AND SHAKING OCCURRED IN THE AREA OF THE NOSEWHEEL. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT. I FELT THAT SOMETHING HAD BROKEN ON THE NOSEWHEEL DUE TO THE TOW BAR DISCONNECT PROB. I REQUESTED LINE MAINT AND THEY QUICKLY PLUGGED IN AND WE DISCUSSED MY CONCERN. I WAS ASSURED BY LINE MAINT THAT NO DAMAGE WAS VISIBLE. HE DISCONNECTED AND I BEGAN A NORMAL TAXI OUT AFTER THE SALUTE. NO PROBS WERE FELT OR EXPERIENCED AND I PROCEEDED TO TAXI. AT THAT TIME GND CTL SAID THAT OUR COMPANY HAD REQUESTED WE RETURN TO THE GATE BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO OUR ACFT. I PARKED AT GATE AND WAS INFORMED THAT WE HAD DAMAGE TO OUR R HORIZ STABILIZER DUE TO IMPACT WITH THE TAIL OF THE MD80 THAT WAS PARKED AT THE NEXT GATE TO THE R. DURING THE TIME FROM START TO STOP, I FEEL OPS AND PROCS WERE NORMAL. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL IN STL TO BE PUSHED BACK TO MANY DIFFERENT POS WITH REF TO THE GATES. SOMETIMES YOU WILL BE PUSHED 'DEEP' AND SOMETIMES YOU WILL BE PUSHED 'SHORT.' I HONESTLY FELT NO CONCERN BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS SURROUNDED BY WING WALKERS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 538554: TOW BAR DISCONNECT WAS SO ROUGH, FLT ATTENDANTS IN TAIL FELT THE JOLTS. RECEIVED SALUTE, FLASHED LIGHT, CLR L, CLR R, AND STARTED TAXI. L TURNOUT. IMMEDIATELY, AFTER TRAVELING A FEW FT, HEARD LOUD NOISES AND JERKING COMING FROM NOSE GEAR AREA. EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN STEERING, STOPPED ACFT. SIGNALED GND CREW TO RETURN AND CALLED MAINT. DAMAGE TO THE ELEVATORS ON OUR ACFT AND PARKED ACFT AT GATE.

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.