Narrative:

We pushed back in den. Ramp tower was almost in continuous chatter. Push crew pushed us off the yellow lead-in line approximately 6 ft to the right. Didn't say anything as we appeared to be only one on push as jetway still up to aircraft Y. Pushed back off line and after starting the second engine; looked up and saw aircraft Y on push and seemed very fast. Said to my first officer 'look at this' and was trying to get a word in to say on frequency for aircraft Y to stop push. Appeared to me aircraft Y push crew wasn't watching very close as the airbus wing appeared to pass approximately 1 ft over our wing. Finally got ramp and discussed our predicament and said we would not move until we had a supervisor and a wing walker to make sure we didn't hit each other as one or the other turned away. Sat for quite some time while nobody showed up. Lots of onlookers but nobody to help even after zone was notified several times. Aircraft Y also said he would not move either until walkers were in place. We were more concerned about hitting during turnout as we were close on our right; his left. Then several things to do were given to us by ramp and then eventually told to shut down and we would be pushed back in. Then several ramp [agents] came out and walked the 320 out and we again started and taxied on our way. Next time; regardless of no obvious push on another gate or not; will have push crew bring us back in and do it again. This was very close and could have resulted in aircraft damage to both aircraft. We were lucky this time. Also; ramp tower seems to micromanage aircraft on our air carrier ramp with useless instructions. Constantly talking; kind of like ord ground control; no time to listen to what's going on or if someone needs something; like we did. No damage to aircraft; just a delay at the gate and some rattled nerves. Wing walkers seem to be there for show and not really watching the push. Come out and watch sometime.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLT CREW HAD A NEAR-COLLISION DURING PUSHBACK WITH ANOTHER PUSHBACK ACR ON THE GROUND IN DEN.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK IN DEN. RAMP TWR WAS ALMOST IN CONTINUOUS CHATTER. PUSH CREW PUSHED US OFF THE YELLOW LEAD-IN LINE APPROX 6 FT TO THE R. DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING AS WE APPEARED TO BE ONLY ONE ON PUSH AS JETWAY STILL UP TO ACFT Y. PUSHED BACK OFF LINE AND AFTER STARTING THE SECOND ENG; LOOKED UP AND SAW ACFT Y ON PUSH AND SEEMED VERY FAST. SAID TO MY FO 'LOOK AT THIS' AND WAS TRYING TO GET A WORD IN TO SAY ON FREQ FOR ACFT Y TO STOP PUSH. APPEARED TO ME ACFT Y PUSH CREW WASN'T WATCHING VERY CLOSE AS THE AIRBUS WING APPEARED TO PASS APPROX 1 FT OVER OUR WING. FINALLY GOT RAMP AND DISCUSSED OUR PREDICAMENT AND SAID WE WOULD NOT MOVE UNTIL WE HAD A SUPVR AND A WING WALKER TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T HIT EACH OTHER AS ONE OR THE OTHER TURNED AWAY. SAT FOR QUITE SOME TIME WHILE NOBODY SHOWED UP. LOTS OF ONLOOKERS BUT NOBODY TO HELP EVEN AFTER ZONE WAS NOTIFIED SEVERAL TIMES. ACFT Y ALSO SAID HE WOULD NOT MOVE EITHER UNTIL WALKERS WERE IN PLACE. WE WERE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT HITTING DURING TURNOUT AS WE WERE CLOSE ON OUR R; HIS L. THEN SEVERAL THINGS TO DO WERE GIVEN TO US BY RAMP AND THEN EVENTUALLY TOLD TO SHUT DOWN AND WE WOULD BE PUSHED BACK IN. THEN SEVERAL RAMP [AGENTS] CAME OUT AND WALKED THE 320 OUT AND WE AGAIN STARTED AND TAXIED ON OUR WAY. NEXT TIME; REGARDLESS OF NO OBVIOUS PUSH ON ANOTHER GATE OR NOT; WILL HAVE PUSH CREW BRING US BACK IN AND DO IT AGAIN. THIS WAS VERY CLOSE AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN ACFT DAMAGE TO BOTH ACFT. WE WERE LUCKY THIS TIME. ALSO; RAMP TWR SEEMS TO MICROMANAGE ACFT ON OUR ACR RAMP WITH USELESS INSTRUCTIONS. CONSTANTLY TALKING; KIND OF LIKE ORD GND CTL; NO TIME TO LISTEN TO WHAT'S GOING ON OR IF SOMEONE NEEDS SOMETHING; LIKE WE DID. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT; JUST A DELAY AT THE GATE AND SOME RATTLED NERVES. WING WALKERS SEEM TO BE THERE FOR SHOW AND NOT REALLY WATCHING THE PUSH. COME OUT AND WATCH SOMETIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.