On August 5, 1988, a Douglas DC-9-51 (registration N421EA) was involved in an aviation accident near Atlanta, GA. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An Eastern DC-9 and a Delta DC-9 collided during taxi after Eastern performed a powerback, leaving it perpendicular to Delta. The vertical fin contacted Delta's horizontal stabilator due to insufficient clearance.
Incident Description
During ground operations, an Eastern DC-9 and a Delta DC-9 were involved in a collision while taxiing. The Eastern aircraft had completed a powerback maneuver, which resulted in the airplane being positioned perpendicular to the Delta DC-9. Ground personnel had cleared the Eastern flight to taxi forward.
Due to the long fuselage of the Eastern DC-9 and the relative proximity to the Delta aircraft, the vertical fin of the Eastern airplane made contact with the horizontal stabilator of the Delta airplane as Eastern began to move forward.
Contributing Factors
According to the investigation report, the wing walker assigned to the Eastern aircraft was unable to gain the attention of the ground guide to stop the airplane before the collision occurred. Additionally, the ground guide had not ensured adequate clearance before directing the Eastern DC-9 to taxi forward.