Narrative:

I was the first officer on a flight departing new york jfk. Our aircraft was an medium large transport with winglets. As we began to pushback from gate; we felt a bump and rolled toward the jetway. The tug driver told the captain to set parking brake. The captain asked; 'what happened?' we were told that the tow bar broke while pushing back. After a few minutes; they put on another tow bar and we continued with the pushback. After pushing us back; the driver then began to pull us to our assigned starting point. There was an large transport parked at gate X which is closer than most gates at most airports. The captain told the tug driver to take your time we are not in a hurry; and use caution with regards to the large transport.' he also told the driver not to follow the yellow line; as it leads too close to the parked aircraft on gate X. The driver acknowledged both statements; and said he was watching his wing walker. I looked out my window; and the wing walker was indicating the wing was clear. As the tug driver continued to pull us; he stopped; backed us up; and then continued pulling us. We then felt a sudden stop. The driver then said; 'we may have hit a wing with the large transport;' and that the wing walker indicated the wing was clear the whole time. The captain set the parking brake. At this point from the cockpit; the wing looked to be around 10 feet from the tail of the large transport. We were then told that the winglet had in fact hit the tail of the large transport. After investigation from maintenance; the tug and tow bar were replaced and we were pushed back to gate without further incident. Perhaps; the tug driver may have felt hurried after breaking the first tow bar. Also; in my opinion; the yellow taxi line which leads past gates X and Y to gate Z is misleading and can cause an aircraft to hit a parked plane if followed.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the initial pushback was not as far into the alley as the normal push. After the tow bar broke; the tug driver apparently felt rushed; even though the captain attempted to slow his actions. The gate from which the aircraft pushed is a corner gate; and careful maneuvering is then required to pull the aircraft up to the engine start point. Reporter felt that the yellow taxi lines do not allow sufficient clearance from parked aircraft. The reporter's aircraft received a gash in the winglet; and a static wick was damaged on the large transport when contact was made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG PUSHBACK INCIDENT RESULTED IN THE WINGLET STRIKING THE TAIL OF A PARKED LGT.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON A FLT DEPARTING NEW YORK JFK. OUR AIRCRAFT WAS AN MLG WITH WINGLETS. AS WE BEGAN TO PUSHBACK FROM GATE; WE FELT A BUMP AND ROLLED TOWARD THE JETWAY. THE TUG DRIVER TOLD THE CAPT TO SET PARKING BRAKE. THE CAPT ASKED; 'WHAT HAPPENED?' WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TOW BAR BROKE WHILE PUSHING BACK. AFTER A FEW MINUTES; THEY PUT ON ANOTHER TOW BAR AND WE CONTINUED WITH THE PUSHBACK. AFTER PUSHING US BACK; THE DRIVER THEN BEGAN TO PULL US TO OUR ASSIGNED STARTING POINT. THERE WAS AN LGT PARKED AT GATE X WHICH IS CLOSER THAN MOST GATES AT MOST AIRPORTS. THE CAPT TOLD THE TUG DRIVER TO TAKE YOUR TIME WE ARE NOT IN A HURRY; AND USE CAUTION WITH REGARDS TO THE LGT.' HE ALSO TOLD THE DRIVER NOT TO FOLLOW THE YELLOW LINE; AS IT LEADS TOO CLOSE TO THE PARKED AIRCRAFT ON GATE X. THE DRIVER ACKNOWLEDGED BOTH STATEMENTS; AND SAID HE WAS WATCHING HIS WING WALKER. I LOOKED OUT MY WINDOW; AND THE WING WALKER WAS INDICATING THE WING WAS CLEAR. AS THE TUG DRIVER CONTINUED TO PULL US; HE STOPPED; BACKED US UP; AND THEN CONTINUED PULLING US. WE THEN FELT A SUDDEN STOP. THE DRIVER THEN SAID; 'WE MAY HAVE HIT A WING WITH THE LGT;' AND THAT THE WING WALKER INDICATED THE WING WAS CLEAR THE WHOLE TIME. THE CAPTAIN SET THE PARKING BRAKE. AT THIS POINT FROM THE COCKPIT; THE WING LOOKED TO BE AROUND 10 FEET FROM THE TAIL OF THE LGT. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT THE WINGLET HAD IN FACT HIT THE TAIL OF THE LGT. AFTER INVESTIGATION FROM MAINTENANCE; THE TUG AND TOW BAR WERE REPLACED AND WE WERE PUSHED BACK TO GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. PERHAPS; THE TUG DRIVER MAY HAVE FELT HURRIED AFTER BREAKING THE FIRST TOW BAR. ALSO; IN MY OPINION; THE YELLOW TAXI LINE WHICH LEADS PAST GATES X AND Y TO GATE Z IS MISLEADING AND CAN CAUSE AN AIRCRAFT TO HIT A PARKED PLANE IF FOLLOWED.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT THE INITIAL PUSHBACK WAS NOT AS FAR INTO THE ALLEY AS THE NORMAL PUSH. AFTER THE TOW BAR BROKE; THE TUG DRIVER APPARENTLY FELT RUSHED; EVEN THOUGH THE CAPT ATTEMPTED TO SLOW HIS ACTIONS. THE GATE FROM WHICH THE ACFT PUSHED IS A CORNER GATE; AND CAREFUL MANEUVERING IS THEN REQUIRED TO PULL THE ACFT UP TO THE ENG START POINT. REPORTER FELT THAT THE YELLOW TAXI LINES DO NOT ALLOW SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE FROM PARKED ACFT. THE REPORTER'S ACFT RECEIVED A GASH IN THE WINGLET; AND A STATIC WICK WAS DAMAGED ON THE LGT WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE.

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.