An A320 flight crew inadvertently have a collision with the right wing during taxi.

Attributes
ACN	609888
Time
Date	200403
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Airbus Industrie Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	609888
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	609893
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness conflict : ground critical ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were pushed back from the gate and had delayed engine start due to possible sick passenger problem. Tug stayed hooked up until this was resolved. Meanwhile, the airbus from adjacent gate Y was being pushed back in close proximity to our aircraft due to the push line being angled toward ours. This concern was relayed to the ground crew. Two people from the other push crew ran out to get a better view of the proximity. We were repositioned slightly. We started engines and released our push crew, which gave us a signal that we were clear to taxi. A person from the other crew gave us a clear signal. The first officer looked at the wingtip and believed them to have adequate clearance. We taxied a short distance and the wingtips collided. The principal cause of this incident was poorly trained ground crews. The other aircraft should not have pushed until we were clear, and the ground crews evidently are unable to judge adequate clearance between aircraft. These particular gates should not have aircraft pushing simultaneously due to the odd geometry. Supplemental information from acn 609893: a wingman from other crew holding up wand with other arm out horizontally indicating clearance, I felt it was clear. Emergency crews showed up. We had paramedics meet and remove sick passenger. Bad pushback by both ground crews giving a salute and release from guidance when it was still needed, giving a clear signal and leaving when plane started moving. Ramp should not allow gate X and Y to push at same time. Primary cause -- poorly trained push crews giving incorrect information.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLT CREW INADVERTENTLY HAVE A COLLISION WITH THE R WING DURING TAXI.

Narrative: WE WERE PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE AND HAD DELAYED ENG START DUE TO POSSIBLE SICK PAX PROB. TUG STAYED HOOKED UP UNTIL THIS WAS RESOLVED. MEANWHILE, THE AIRBUS FROM ADJACENT GATE Y WAS BEING PUSHED BACK IN CLOSE PROX TO OUR ACFT DUE TO THE PUSH LINE BEING ANGLED TOWARD OURS. THIS CONCERN WAS RELAYED TO THE GND CREW. TWO PEOPLE FROM THE OTHER PUSH CREW RAN OUT TO GET A BETTER VIEW OF THE PROX. WE WERE REPOSITIONED SLIGHTLY. WE STARTED ENGS AND RELEASED OUR PUSH CREW, WHICH GAVE US A SIGNAL THAT WE WERE CLR TO TAXI. A PERSON FROM THE OTHER CREW GAVE US A CLR SIGNAL. THE FO LOOKED AT THE WINGTIP AND BELIEVED THEM TO HAVE ADEQUATE CLRNC. WE TAXIED A SHORT DISTANCE AND THE WINGTIPS COLLIDED. THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS POORLY TRAINED GND CREWS. THE OTHER ACFT SHOULD NOT HAVE PUSHED UNTIL WE WERE CLR, AND THE GND CREWS EVIDENTLY ARE UNABLE TO JUDGE ADEQUATE CLRNC BTWN ACFT. THESE PARTICULAR GATES SHOULD NOT HAVE ACFT PUSHING SIMULTANEOUSLY DUE TO THE ODD GEOMETRY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 609893: A WINGMAN FROM OTHER CREW HOLDING UP WAND WITH OTHER ARM OUT HORIZLY INDICATING CLRNC, I FELT IT WAS CLR. EMER CREWS SHOWED UP. WE HAD PARAMEDICS MEET AND REMOVE SICK PAX. BAD PUSHBACK BY BOTH GND CREWS GIVING A SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE WHEN IT WAS STILL NEEDED, GIVING A CLR SIGNAL AND LEAVING WHEN PLANE STARTED MOVING. RAMP SHOULD NOT ALLOW GATE X AND Y TO PUSH AT SAME TIME. PRIMARY CAUSE -- POORLY TRAINED PUSH CREWS GIVING INCORRECT INFO.

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.