Narrative:

Just after pushback and following the start of both engines from gate xx in milwaukee; the captain let our ramp personnel know we were ready for taxi by quickly flashing the nose taxi light. The aircraft marshaller gave us the signal to begin a left turn to leave the gate area. Shortly after we began to move we felt a jolt inside the cockpit. The captain set the brake and we began to investigate what might have happened. I opened my side window and stood up out of it to see behind the aircraft as we wondered if we had been hit from behind by some sort of vehicle. It became immediately clear that our tail section had been positioned too close to an aircraft that was pushed back slightly from its gate. During the turn out right elevator had struck an elevator of the other aircraft doing damage to both aircraft. We learned about the actual damage following our return to the gate and visually inspecting our tail section. This was poor judgement by ramp personnel to have pushed our aircraft into a position where a collision might occur and very poor monitoring of aircraft clrncs once they began to guide us out. What was most disturbing to us was the ground crews of both planes seemed to have no idea the 2 airplanes had contacted each other. We were relieved that neither aircraft attempted a takeoff with damage to vital control surfaces! More and better training of ramp personnel is clearly in need and we made that suggestion to our company in our written report of the incident.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B717 BEGAN TO TAXI OUT OF MKE UNDER CTL OF MARSHALLER AND CONTACTED ANOTHER ACFT WITH THEIR ELEVATOR.

Narrative: JUST AFTER PUSHBACK AND FOLLOWING THE START OF BOTH ENGS FROM GATE XX IN MILWAUKEE; THE CAPT LET OUR RAMP PERSONNEL KNOW WE WERE READY FOR TAXI BY QUICKLY FLASHING THE NOSE TAXI LIGHT. THE ACFT MARSHALLER GAVE US THE SIGNAL TO BEGIN A L TURN TO LEAVE THE GATE AREA. SHORTLY AFTER WE BEGAN TO MOVE WE FELT A JOLT INSIDE THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT SET THE BRAKE AND WE BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED. I OPENED MY SIDE WINDOW AND STOOD UP OUT OF IT TO SEE BEHIND THE ACFT AS WE WONDERED IF WE HAD BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND BY SOME SORT OF VEHICLE. IT BECAME IMMEDIATELY CLR THAT OUR TAIL SECTION HAD BEEN POSITIONED TOO CLOSE TO AN ACFT THAT WAS PUSHED BACK SLIGHTLY FROM ITS GATE. DURING THE TURN OUT R ELEVATOR HAD STRUCK AN ELEVATOR OF THE OTHER ACFT DOING DAMAGE TO BOTH ACFT. WE LEARNED ABOUT THE ACTUAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING OUR RETURN TO THE GATE AND VISUALLY INSPECTING OUR TAIL SECTION. THIS WAS POOR JUDGEMENT BY RAMP PERSONNEL TO HAVE PUSHED OUR ACFT INTO A POS WHERE A COLLISION MIGHT OCCUR AND VERY POOR MONITORING OF ACFT CLRNCS ONCE THEY BEGAN TO GUIDE US OUT. WHAT WAS MOST DISTURBING TO US WAS THE GND CREWS OF BOTH PLANES SEEMED TO HAVE NO IDEA THE 2 AIRPLANES HAD CONTACTED EACH OTHER. WE WERE RELIEVED THAT NEITHER ACFT ATTEMPTED A TKOF WITH DAMAGE TO VITAL CTL SURFACES! MORE AND BETTER TRAINING OF RAMP PERSONNEL IS CLRLY IN NEED AND WE MADE THAT SUGGESTION TO OUR COMPANY IN OUR WRITTEN RPT OF THE INCIDENT.

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.