Inbound A320 has minor collision with A320 pushed back beyond the stop point at adjacent gate.

Attributes
ACN	666632
Time
Date	200508
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	666632
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	666631
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters other incursion : taxiway non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 6
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Airport Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

After pushback; I called ramp control for taxi clearance. Ramp said to wait for an airbus to pass behind us and then cleared to taxi. As the aircraft passed behind us; we felt the airplane shudder. We both confirmed the parking brake was set and questioned each other as to what may have caused it. I looked at the left wingtip of the aircraft as it passed behind us and saw no visible damage. The captain verified what I saw and we determined that it must have been something besides a collision. We proceeded to taxi out and ramp called us to hold position because airport operations observed the taxiing aircraft strike our tail. We returned to the gate without further incident. Supplemental information from acn 666633: cleared to taxi to the gate. Aircraft was pushed off an adjacent gate and told to hold taxi until we passed. As we approached; we noticed that he may have been pushed too far back so we side-stepped to the right 4-5 ft of yellow line with tail clearance in mind. As we passed; our fairing creased bottom of APU door. Once at gate we also saw another pushback at that same gate that was also pushed aft of their stop point.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INBOUND A320 HAS MINOR COLLISION WITH A320 PUSHED BACK BEYOND THE STOP POINT AT ADJACENT GATE.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK; I CALLED RAMP CTL FOR TAXI CLRNC. RAMP SAID TO WAIT FOR AN AIRBUS TO PASS BEHIND US AND THEN CLRED TO TAXI. AS THE ACFT PASSED BEHIND US; WE FELT THE AIRPLANE SHUDDER. WE BOTH CONFIRMED THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET AND QUESTIONED EACH OTHER AS TO WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED IT. I LOOKED AT THE L WINGTIP OF THE ACFT AS IT PASSED BEHIND US AND SAW NO VISIBLE DAMAGE. THE CAPT VERIFIED WHAT I SAW AND WE DETERMINED THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING BESIDES A COLLISION. WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI OUT AND RAMP CALLED US TO HOLD POS BECAUSE ARPT OPS OBSERVED THE TAXIING ACFT STRIKE OUR TAIL. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 666633: CLRED TO TAXI TO THE GATE. ACFT WAS PUSHED OFF AN ADJACENT GATE AND TOLD TO HOLD TAXI UNTIL WE PASSED. AS WE APCHED; WE NOTICED THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN PUSHED TOO FAR BACK SO WE SIDE-STEPPED TO THE RIGHT 4-5 FT OF YELLOW LINE WITH TAIL CLRNC IN MIND. AS WE PASSED; OUR FAIRING CREASED BOTTOM OF APU DOOR. ONCE AT GATE WE ALSO SAW ANOTHER PUSHBACK AT THAT SAME GATE THAT WAS ALSO PUSHED AFT OF THEIR STOP POINT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.