2 ACFT STRIKE WINGTIPS DURING TIGHT GND MANEUVERING AT ORD.

Narrative

AFTER PUSHBACK AT XA05 (10 LATE); WE TAXIED TO RWY 22L VIA TXWYS B AND D. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT ON TXWY M; AWAITING TKOF ON RWY 27L; AS WELL AS NUMEROUS OTHER ACFT ON TXWY D AWAITING TKOF ON RWY 22L. ADDITIONALLY; THERE WERE 3 ACFT PARKED IN THE RWY 27L PAD. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO PULL INTO THE RWY 27L PAD NEXT TO THE AIRBUS. WE REQUESTED ESTIMATED TKOF DELAYS; AND WERE TOLD BY TWR THAT THE ACFT JUST DEPARTING (ALSO GOING TO DCA) HAD EXPERIENCED A 20 MIN DELAY; BUT THAT HE HAD NO INFO ON US. TWR THEN INSTRUCTED ACR Z; WHO WAS TAXIING OUT BEHIND US; TO PULL INTO THE RWY 27L PAD NEXT TO US. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A TIGHT FIT IN THE PAD; SO I PULLED IN AS CLOSE AS I COULD NEXT TO THE AIRBUS; REMAINING SLIGHTLY BEHIND HIM TO HIS R. THE FO ADVISED ME THAT WE LOOKED LIKE WE WERE GOING TO BE REALLY CLOSE TO THE AIRBUS ON MY SIDE. I ACKNOWLEDGED HIS ADVISORY; AND EXPLAINED THAT I WAS ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE SUFFICIENT ROOM FOR ACR Z. ACR Z PULLED IN; SLIGHTLY BEHIND ME; ON MY R. WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DISPATCH VIA ACARS TO ASCERTAIN WHAT DELAY WE MIGHT EXPECT IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS FOR FUEL CONSERVATION WHILE WE WAITED FOR THE LINE-UP OF ACFT AHEAD OF US TO CLR. I DECIDED TO KEEP THE #1 ENG RUNNING UNTIL WE HEARD FROM DISPATCH; OR UNTIL 5 MINS PASSED (WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN AT XA27). WHILE WAITING TO HEAR FROM DISPATCH; WE HEARD TWR CLR AN ACFT FOR TKOF ON RWY 22L. THE TWR THEN INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI UP TO AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22L; AND SAID WE WOULD BE DEPARTING 4 MINS IN TRAIL OF THAT ACFT. I CONFIRMED THAT THE SEATBELT SIGN WAS STILL ON; ASKED THE FO TO START ENG #2; AND BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD. I WAS LOOKING OUT MY SIDE WINDOW AT MY WINGTIP AND THAT OF THE AIRBUS TO MY L. THE AFT WINDOW ON MY SIDE WAS SOMEWHAT SCUFFED OR SCRATCHED; AND IN THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT; THE GLARE MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE DETAILS CLRLY. I ASKED THE FO TO WATCH MY CLRNC ON ACR Z (TO MY R) AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN AWAY FROM THE AIRBUS ON MY L TO GAIN MORE WINGTIP CLRNC BEFORE TAXIING FURTHER FORWARD. IT APPEARED THAT WE HAD MORE SPACE BTWN US AND THE ACFT ON OUR R; THAN THE ONE ON OUR L. WE WERE STILL ON A SINGLE (#1) ENG; AND WITH THE HVY WT OF THE ACFT AND THE HOT DAY; IT TOOK A LOT OF PWR ON #1 TO GET THE ACFT MOVING FORWARD SO I COULD TURN. ONCE I GOT THE ACFT MOVING; I REDUCED PWR AND CREPT FORWARD WHILE ATTEMPTING TO INCREASE MY CLRNC ON THE AIRBUS. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT I HAD SUFFICIENT CLRNC TO MAKE IT PAST; BUT AS WE MOVED FORWARD; WE HEARD/FELT A SLIGHT SCRAPING; OR SHUDDERING. I STOPPED THE ACFT. WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE AIRBUS NEXT TO US TO ASK IF HE HAD FELT ANYTHING; TO DETERMINE WHETHER WHAT WE HAD FELT WAS CONTACT WITH HIM; OR WAS FROM SOMETHING ELSE. WE ASKED TWR FOR HIS CALL SIGN; BUT DID NOT RECEIVE THE CORRECT INFO. I USED A DEADHEADING PLT IN THE PAX SECTION TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW; AND ADVISED DISPATCH VIA RADIO THAT WE HAD POSSIBLY HAD CONTACT WITH THE AIRBUS NEXT TO US; AND ASKED THEM TO ARRANGE RADIO CONTACT BTWN US. THE DEADHEADING PLT RPTED THAT IT APPEARED WE HAD CONTACTED HIS WINGTIP; AND DISPATCH SENT US AN ACARS MESSAGE THAT WE SHOULD CALL ON CELL PHONE IF WE NEEDED TO TALK; AND THAT THE FLT (ACR Y) HAD RPTED TO THEM THAT OUR WINGS WERE STUCK. CFR TRUCKS ARRIVED; AND ADVISED ME THAT NO FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM EITHER PLANE; AND THE OTHER PLANE HAD NO RPTED INJURIES. MY PURSER CONFIRMED WE HAD NO INJURIES ABOARD. AFTER ARR OF MAINT AND OPS PERSONNEL; AND FURTHER INSPECTION; THE ACFT WERE SEPARATED BY DEFLATING MY L MAIN LNDG GEAR STRUT ENOUGH TO LOWER MY WINGTIP; AND THE OTHER AIRBUS WAS TAXIED CLR. WE WERE TOWED BACK TO A GATE; AND THE PAX DEPLANED.