B737-700 strikes another aircraft while being pushed from the gate.

Attributes
ACN	725962
Time
Date	200702
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	725962
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	725963
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Airport Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

On pushback from gate X1 in bwi; tug driver pushed our aircraft backwards into a stationary aircraft number parked at gate X2. Our right winglet trailing edge contacted the leading edge of that aircraft's left horizontal tail. Pushback speed was a slow walk. Wing walker was stationed at left wingtip (closest to wall in alley). There was a noticeable but not violent jolt; followed by abrupt halt of movement as tug driver stopped the pushback. Almost simultaneously; first officer looked out his window and observed impact and reported it to me. He did not have enough time to react before impact. I shut down both engines and informed operations. Another tug driver towed us back to X1. I wrote the incident in aircraft logbook. Maintenance inspected the aircraft and returned it to service. Aircraft suffered a dent in leading edge of left horizontal tail of about same magnitude as a bird strike. We switched to another aircraft and continued our scheduled flight. Tug driver should keep aircraft on yellow line when possible.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 STRIKES ANOTHER ACFT WHILE BEING PUSHED FROM THE GATE.

Narrative: ON PUSHBACK FROM GATE X1 IN BWI; TUG DRIVER PUSHED OUR ACFT BACKWARDS INTO A STATIONARY ACFT NUMBER PARKED AT GATE X2. OUR R WINGLET TRAILING EDGE CONTACTED THE LEADING EDGE OF THAT ACFT'S L HORIZ TAIL. PUSHBACK SPD WAS A SLOW WALK. WING WALKER WAS STATIONED AT L WINGTIP (CLOSEST TO WALL IN ALLEY). THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE BUT NOT VIOLENT JOLT; FOLLOWED BY ABRUPT HALT OF MOVEMENT AS TUG DRIVER STOPPED THE PUSHBACK. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY; FO LOOKED OUT HIS WINDOW AND OBSERVED IMPACT AND RPTED IT TO ME. HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REACT BEFORE IMPACT. I SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS AND INFORMED OPS. ANOTHER TUG DRIVER TOWED US BACK TO X1. I WROTE THE INCIDENT IN ACFT LOGBOOK. MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND RETURNED IT TO SVC. ACFT SUFFERED A DENT IN LEADING EDGE OF L HORIZ TAIL OF ABOUT SAME MAGNITUDE AS A BIRD STRIKE. WE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER ACFT AND CONTINUED OUR SCHEDULED FLT. TUG DRIVER SHOULD KEEP ACFT ON YELLOW LINE WHEN POSSIBLE.

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.