B737-300 WINGTIP STRUCK A COMPANY ACFT'S HORIZ STABILIZER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MANEUVER IN THE HOLD SHORT AREA OF TPA RWY 18R.

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THE EVENT OCCURRED ON TXWY W AT THE HOLD SHORT FOR RWY 18R WHILE TAXIING BEHIND ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT WHICH WAS #1 FOR TKOF. THERE ARE 2 HOLD SHORT LANES. THE OTHER ACFT WAS POINTING WEST IN THE SOUTHERN LANE. MY ACFT WAS POINTED NORTH ON TXWY W; AND I ATTEMPTED TO TAXI TO THE NORTHERN LANE; TO ALSO POINT WEST; IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE PROGRESS OF A RAINSTORM WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR ON DEP. I INFORMED THE FO WHAT I WAS DOING AND TAXIED SLOWLY; LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE CLRNC WITH THE OTHER ACFT SEVERAL TIMES. I HAD ADDITIONAL ROOM OFF THE R BUT DIDN'T THINK I NEEDED IT. MY DEPTH PERCEPTION TOLD ME THAT WE WOULD CLR BY 6-10 FT. I TOLD THE FO THAT WE HAD ENOUGH ROOM. HE COULDN'T SEE FROM HIS POS. I SAW THE COLLISION OCCUR AND FELT A SLIGHT SHUDDER. THE '10 FT CLRNC' SUDDENLY WENT TO ZERO AND I WAS TOTALLY SURPRISED. THE L WINGLET OF MY ACFT IMPACTED THE R HORIZ STABILIZER ALONG THE OUTBOARD TRAILING EDGE. WE DETERMINED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO TAXI BACK AFTER INSPECTION. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE CAPT DID NOT GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP DUE TO A HEADACHE; EVEN THOUGH HE WENT STRAIGHT TO BED THE EVENING PRIOR. THE CAPT BOUGHT A CHEAP PAIR OF SUNGLASSES AT THE ARPT. AFTER EXAMINING THE GLASSES; THERE WAS A SLIGHT DISTORTION NOTED; BUT NOT ENOUGH TO BLAME THEM; ALTHOUGH THEY COULD BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE CAPT IS REQUIRED TO HAVE PRESCRIPTION READING GLASSES AS PER HIS FAA MEDICAL. IN RETROSPECT; THE CAPT WOULD HAVE HAD TIME TO EVALUATE THE WX WHEN #1 FOR TKOF. IT WAS NOT NECESSARY TO TAXI IN CLOSE PROX. I LEARNED THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE CLRNCS FROM THE COCKPIT AND TO GIVE OBVIOUS WIDE CLRNCS FROM NOW ON; AND ONLY WHEN OPERATIONALLY REQUIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 669875: AS WE PASSED BEHIND OUR COMPANY ACFT SLOWLY; I KNEW IT WAS TIGHT WITH OUR L WING. I SAW MY CAPT LOOK BACK 5-6 TIMES. HE VERBALIZED 'WE ARE CLR.' JUST AS I THOUGHT WE HAD PASSED; AND I WAS LOOKING FORWARD AGAIN; OUR L WINGLET CAUGHT THE TIP OF THE COMPANY ACFT'S HORIZ STABILIZER. WE STOPPED. FIRE TRUCKS CHKED US OUT; PICKED UP THE TIP OF THE HORIZ STABILIZER THAT BROKE OFF; AND CLRED US. WE TAXIED BACK AND SHUT DOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 669870: HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 18R FACING WEST (IN SOUTHERN TAXI LANE) A JOLT WAS FELT. I THOUGHT WE GOT HIT; BUT DID NOT KNOW WHERE. ONCE ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT CONFIRMED HE HAD HIT US; WE ADVISED THE TWR A GATE RETURN WAS NECESSARY. WE ADVISED CREW AND PAX. ATC ASKED IF WE WOULD LIKE A RESCUE VEHICLE TO LOOK/SEE BEFORE PROCEEDING. WE SAID YES. THIS TOOK SOME TIME (FREQ COORD PROB). FOD WAS RPTED CLR OF OUR ACFT AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE GATE.