What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 08/14/2001, @2215L, dala B737-800, flt #446 struck cala B737-800, flt #368, in the underside of the tail just fwd of the aux. Power unit exhust duct w/it's left wing tip. Dala had cleared rnwy 4L on the high-speed turnoff lima taxiway & was cleared, by ewr tower, to taxi on lima to intercept papa taxiway to whiskey taxiway. Cala was behind a cala MD-80 a/c holding on yankee taxiway waiting to cross rnwy 4R. Measurements taken of this situation showed that dala a/c would have cleared cala a/c tail by 50 ft if every foot of yankee taxiway was utilized by the two cala a/c's. a/c do not use every foot of space, due to flt deck visibility restrictions. This caused the two a/c to lose separation, so even though the dala a/c was on the centerline of lima taxiway, the separation was lost. Contributing factors were night visibility, & a/c wing tip position relative to flt deck.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 08/14/2001, @2215L, DALA B737-800, FLT #446 STRUCK CALA B737-800, FLT #368, IN THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TAIL JUST FWD OF THE AUX. POWER UNIT EXHUST DUCT W/IT'S LEFT WING TIP. DALA HAD CLEARED RNWY 4L ON THE HIGH-SPEED TURNOFF LIMA TAXIWAY & WAS CLEARED, BY EWR TOWER, TO TAXI ON LIMA TO INTERCEPT PAPA TAXIWAY TO WHISKEY TAXIWAY. CALA WAS BEHIND A CALA MD-80 A/C HOLDING ON YANKEE TAXIWAY WAITING TO CROSS RNWY 4R. MEASUREMENTS TAKEN OF THIS SITUATION SHOWED THAT DALA A/C WOULD HAVE CLEARED CALA A/C TAIL BY 50 FT IF EVERY FOOT OF YANKEE TAXIWAY WAS UTILIZED BY THE TWO CALA A/C'S. A/C DO NOT USE EVERY FOOT OF SPACE, DUE TO FLT DECK VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS. THIS CAUSED THE TWO A/C TO LOSE SEPARATION, SO EVEN THOUGH THE DALA A/C WAS ON THE CENTERLINE OF LIMA TAXIWAY, THE SEPARATION WAS LOST. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE NIGHT VISIBILITY, & A/C WING TIP POSITION RELATIVE TO FLT DECK.