A GULFSTREAM III HITS ITS WINGLET AGAINST THE WINGLET OF A PARKED CHALLENGER 601 DURING ITS DEP FROM A TIGHTLY PARKED RAMP AT NIGHT IN THE RAIN.

Narrative

ACFT WAS PARKED AT RAMP AT DCA IN A VERY TIGHT PARKING SLOT. 2 WING WALKERS WERE USED TO INSURE CLRNC. THE ACFT WAS PARKED VERY CLOSELY TO THE CL604. BOTH ACFT WERE NOT MOVED. AT XA00; THE ACFT WAS READIED FOR FLT. THE CREW DISCUSSED THE NEED TO MOVE STRAIGHT AHEAD TO AVOID THE CL604. AFTER REACHING THE TXWY CTR; ACFT TURNED R AND THE CL604 RADIOED TO SAY THE G3 WINGTIP HAD HIT THE CL604 WINGLET. NO DAMAGE TO GULFSTREAM AND TOP 6 INCHES OF CL604 WINGLET WAS DAMAGED. WX AT THE TIME WAS DARK; OVCST; WINDY; AND RAINY. RAMP CONDITIONS: DARK; CROWDED; AND NO GND MARSHALLERS WERE AVAILABLE. FBO PARKS ACFT TOO CLOSE AND PROVIDED NO GND MARSHALLERS FOR ACFT OUTBOUND MOVEMENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 430240: WE LEFT THE TERMINAL IN A VAN TO THE ACFT IN A STEADY RAIN. WE MADE A QUICK VISUAL CHK OF THE ACFT AND GOT INSIDE TO PREPARE THE ACFT FOR DEP. WE NOTED THAT NONE OF THE ACFT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN MOVED. WE STARTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI TO A DESIGNATED SPOT ON THE ARPT. BY NOW THE RAIN WAS COMING DOWN MODERATELY. THE CAPT AND I AGREED THAT WE NEEDED TO TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD UNTIL WELL CLR OF THE CHALLENGER BEFORE BEGINNING OUR TURN TO THE R. THE CAPT AND I AGREED THAT WE HAD PULLED FORWARD ENOUGH AND BEGAN OUR TURN. AT THAT TIME; THE CHALLENGER CREWMAN THAT WAS SITTING IN THE PLANE CALLED US AND NOTIFIED US THAT WE HAD SCRAPED HIS WINGLET AS WE TAXIED FORWARD. OUR WINGLET HAD CONTACTED THE WINGLET OF THE CHALLENGER ABOUT 3-4 INCHES FROM THE TOP AND CAUSED DAMAGE. OUR WINGLET SHOWED CONTACT ABOUT 1/2 WAY UP WITH A SCRATCH ON THE LEADING EDGE. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS EVENT THAT SHOULD BECOME EVIDENT. THE TIGHTNESS OF THE PARKING AREA WAS A BAD SIT IN ITSELF; BUT THERE IS SOME FEELING OF CONFIDENCE THAT WE WERE PARKED WITH SO MANY PEOPLE AND SUCH CARE. WHEN DEP TIME ARRIVED; THE WX HAD SHIFTED TO MODERATE RAIN AND THE STAFF HAD CHANGED AND PEOPLE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE POS OF THE GULFSTREAM'S WINGS BEHIND THE CHALLENGER'S ADDED TO THE ILLUSION THAT THE ACFT WAS CLR ENOUGH TO TAXI FORWARD SAFELY. THE NOW OBVIOUS SMALL OVERLAP OF THE WINGS WAS NOT APPARENT ENOUGH TO TRIGGER ALARM BEFORE ENTERING THE ACFT. AND FINALLY; WITH THE MODERATE RAIN ON THE R SIDE WINDOWS WITH THE WIND GUSTING FROM THE W; THE CONCERN OVER TAXIING OVERSHADOWED CONCERN OF WINGS.