Incident
On May 4, 2015, at approximately 1410 UTC, Mesa Airlines flight 5612, a CRJ900 registered as N932LR, collided with a parked US Airways Boeing 757 while taxiing in the gate area of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX). The left horizontal stabilizer of the CRJ900 was substantially damaged when it struck the left winglet of the B757. The B757 sustained minor damage. There were no injuries to the 81 passengers and crew aboard the CRJ900, and no persons were aboard the B757.
Sequence of Events
Flight 5612 was operating as a regularly scheduled passenger flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Albuquerque International Sunport (KABQ) to Phoenix Sky Harbor. After landing, the crew received an ACARS notification that their arrival gate had changed from B7 to B21. Upon arriving at the gate area, the crew inadvertently aligned the aircraft with gate B23 and awaited marshallers. As marshallers arrived, the crew realized they were aligned with the wrong gate and that a left turn to enter gate B21 was not possible due to ground obstructions. Consequently, the flight crew decided to perform a right turn to return to the ramp area and then enter gate B23.
During the right turn, the B757 was parked to the right of the CRJ900 at gate B25, aligned at approximately a 45-degree angle relative to other parking configurations. As the turn reached about 90 degrees, the first officer (FO) advised the captain that they were getting too close to the wing of the B757. The captain proceeded to slowly complete the right turn to exit the gate, but the flight crew then felt a shudder, and the FO noted possible damage to the winglet of the B757.
Damage and Injuries
The CRJ900 continued its taxi to the proper gate, and all passengers deplaned normally. After engine shutdown, the captain exited the aircraft to assess any damage and noticed that the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
Aftermath
The aircraft involved were Mesa Airlines flight 5612 (CRJ900, N932LR) and a US Airways Boeing 757. No other details were provided regarding the investigation or any follow-up actions.