Air carrier-large transport tail struck adjacent aircraft tail upon gate departure.

Attributes
ACN	97566
Time
Date	198811
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 187 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	97566
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	98051
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated other Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Pushed out gate at ord. After push back, start, and departure salute, began taxi out, turn to center of alley taxiway. Elevator of aircraft struck tail of aircraft behind. Inexperienced push back crew positioned aircraft in 'impossible' position. Discovered by radio report from struck aircraft. Since economics primarily dictate inexperienced push back crews probably should have surveyed and painted references on ramp. Supplemental information from acn 98051. Because of our aircraft's position, when our tail came around it struck the tail of another aircraft parked behind us. (This aircraft could not be seen from any cockpit position).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR-LGT TAIL STRUCK ADJACENT ACFT TAIL UPON GATE DEP.

Narrative: PUSHED OUT GATE AT ORD. AFTER PUSH BACK, START, AND DEP SALUTE, BEGAN TAXI OUT, TURN TO CENTER OF ALLEY TXWY. ELEVATOR OF ACFT STRUCK TAIL OF ACFT BEHIND. INEXPERIENCED PUSH BACK CREW POSITIONED ACFT IN 'IMPOSSIBLE' POS. DISCOVERED BY RADIO RPT FROM STRUCK ACFT. SINCE ECONOMICS PRIMARILY DICTATE INEXPERIENCED PUSH BACK CREWS PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SURVEYED AND PAINTED REFERENCES ON RAMP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 98051. BECAUSE OF OUR ACFT'S POS, WHEN OUR TAIL CAME AROUND IT STRUCK THE TAIL OF ANOTHER ACFT PARKED BEHIND US. (THIS ACFT COULD NOT BE SEEN FROM ANY COCKPIT POS).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.