Narrative:

The event occurred on taxiway west at the hold short for runway 18R while taxiing behind another company aircraft which was #1 for takeoff. There are 2 hold short lanes. The other aircraft was pointing west in the southern lane. My aircraft was pointed north on taxiway west; and I attempted to taxi to the northern lane; to also point west; in order to evaluate the progress of a rainstorm which might have been a factor on departure. I informed the first officer what I was doing and taxied slowly; looking closely at the clearance with the other aircraft several times. I had additional room off the right but didn't think I needed it. My depth perception told me that we would clear by 6-10 ft. I told the first officer that we had enough room. He couldn't see from his position. I saw the collision occur and felt a slight shudder. The '10 ft clearance' suddenly went to zero and I was totally surprised. The left winglet of my aircraft impacted the right horizontal stabilizer along the outboard trailing edge. We determined that it was safe to taxi back after inspection. Possible contributing factors: the captain did not get a good night's sleep due to a headache; even though he went straight to bed the evening prior. The captain bought a cheap pair of sunglasses at the airport. After examining the glasses; there was a slight distortion noted; but not enough to blame them; although they could be a contributing factor. The captain is required to have prescription reading glasses as per his FAA medical. In retrospect; the captain would have had time to evaluate the WX when #1 for takeoff. It was not necessary to taxi in close proximity. I learned that it is difficult to judge clrncs from the cockpit and to give obvious wide clrncs from now on; and only when operationally required. Supplemental information from acn 669875: as we passed behind our company aircraft slowly; I knew it was tight with our left wing. I saw my captain look back 5-6 times. He verbalized 'we are clear.' just as I thought we had passed; and I was looking forward again; our left winglet caught the tip of the company aircraft's horizontal stabilizer. We stopped. Fire trucks checked us out; picked up the tip of the horizontal stabilizer that broke off; and cleared us. We taxied back and shut down. Supplemental information from acn 669870: holding short of runway 18R facing west (in southern taxi lane) a jolt was felt. I thought we got hit; but did not know where. Once another company aircraft confirmed he had hit us; we advised the tower a gate return was necessary. We advised crew and passenger. ATC asked if we would like a rescue vehicle to look/see before proceeding. We said yes. This took some time (frequency coordination problem). FOD was reported clear of our aircraft and we proceeded to the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 WINGTIP STRUCK A COMPANY ACFT'S HORIZ STABILIZER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MANEUVER IN THE HOLD SHORT AREA OF TPA RWY 18R.

Narrative: THE EVENT OCCURRED ON TXWY W AT THE HOLD SHORT FOR RWY 18R WHILE TAXIING BEHIND ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT WHICH WAS #1 FOR TKOF. THERE ARE 2 HOLD SHORT LANES. THE OTHER ACFT WAS POINTING WEST IN THE SOUTHERN LANE. MY ACFT WAS POINTED NORTH ON TXWY W; AND I ATTEMPTED TO TAXI TO THE NORTHERN LANE; TO ALSO POINT WEST; IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE PROGRESS OF A RAINSTORM WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR ON DEP. I INFORMED THE FO WHAT I WAS DOING AND TAXIED SLOWLY; LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE CLRNC WITH THE OTHER ACFT SEVERAL TIMES. I HAD ADDITIONAL ROOM OFF THE R BUT DIDN'T THINK I NEEDED IT. MY DEPTH PERCEPTION TOLD ME THAT WE WOULD CLR BY 6-10 FT. I TOLD THE FO THAT WE HAD ENOUGH ROOM. HE COULDN'T SEE FROM HIS POS. I SAW THE COLLISION OCCUR AND FELT A SLIGHT SHUDDER. THE '10 FT CLRNC' SUDDENLY WENT TO ZERO AND I WAS TOTALLY SURPRISED. THE L WINGLET OF MY ACFT IMPACTED THE R HORIZ STABILIZER ALONG THE OUTBOARD TRAILING EDGE. WE DETERMINED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO TAXI BACK AFTER INSPECTION. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE CAPT DID NOT GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP DUE TO A HEADACHE; EVEN THOUGH HE WENT STRAIGHT TO BED THE EVENING PRIOR. THE CAPT BOUGHT A CHEAP PAIR OF SUNGLASSES AT THE ARPT. AFTER EXAMINING THE GLASSES; THERE WAS A SLIGHT DISTORTION NOTED; BUT NOT ENOUGH TO BLAME THEM; ALTHOUGH THEY COULD BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE CAPT IS REQUIRED TO HAVE PRESCRIPTION READING GLASSES AS PER HIS FAA MEDICAL. IN RETROSPECT; THE CAPT WOULD HAVE HAD TIME TO EVALUATE THE WX WHEN #1 FOR TKOF. IT WAS NOT NECESSARY TO TAXI IN CLOSE PROX. I LEARNED THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE CLRNCS FROM THE COCKPIT AND TO GIVE OBVIOUS WIDE CLRNCS FROM NOW ON; AND ONLY WHEN OPERATIONALLY REQUIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 669875: AS WE PASSED BEHIND OUR COMPANY ACFT SLOWLY; I KNEW IT WAS TIGHT WITH OUR L WING. I SAW MY CAPT LOOK BACK 5-6 TIMES. HE VERBALIZED 'WE ARE CLR.' JUST AS I THOUGHT WE HAD PASSED; AND I WAS LOOKING FORWARD AGAIN; OUR L WINGLET CAUGHT THE TIP OF THE COMPANY ACFT'S HORIZ STABILIZER. WE STOPPED. FIRE TRUCKS CHKED US OUT; PICKED UP THE TIP OF THE HORIZ STABILIZER THAT BROKE OFF; AND CLRED US. WE TAXIED BACK AND SHUT DOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 669870: HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 18R FACING WEST (IN SOUTHERN TAXI LANE) A JOLT WAS FELT. I THOUGHT WE GOT HIT; BUT DID NOT KNOW WHERE. ONCE ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT CONFIRMED HE HAD HIT US; WE ADVISED THE TWR A GATE RETURN WAS NECESSARY. WE ADVISED CREW AND PAX. ATC ASKED IF WE WOULD LIKE A RESCUE VEHICLE TO LOOK/SEE BEFORE PROCEEDING. WE SAID YES. THIS TOOK SOME TIME (FREQ COORD PROB). FOD WAS RPTED CLR OF OUR ACFT AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE GATE.

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.