20020913025649I

(-23) Aircraft parked at gate E-34, with brakes set awaiting pushback. While being towed, aircraft N759AN, a Boeing 777 aircraft wing struck the rudder of aircraft N939AN. Damage to rudder and vertical stabilizer of N939AN. Wing tip damage to N759AN. (.19) on September 13, 2002, about 1810 eastern daylight time, the left wingtip of a Boeing 777-223 (B777), N759AN, registered to American airlines, inc., collided while being towed with the rudder of a Boeing 737-823 (B737), N939AN, also registered to American airlines, inc., that was parked at gate E34 with passengers on-board awaiting pushback for a flight, at the Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the B737 airplane that was operating in accordance with 14 CFR part 121, as flight 977, a scheduled, international passenger/cargo flight from Miami, to panama city, panama. Both airplanes sustained minor damage and there were no injuries to the captain, first officer, 99 passengers, or 4 cabin crewmembers in the B737 airplane. There were no injuries to the brake r ider, or tow tug driver who were involved with the B777 tow operation. The B777 airplane was being tow repositioned from gate E-11 to an American airlines maintenance hangar. A review of communications between the American airlines operations tower coordinator (coordinator) and the person in the B777 cockpit riding the brakes (brake rider) revealed the coordinator advised the brake rider to give way to an inbound company MD80 airplane, push tail east, and to take "...it on the centerline." The brake rider read back to the coordinator in part, "centerline", and later reported advising the tow tug driver that the airplane was cleared to push, "6 center out." The tow tug driver later reported the brake rider advised him the airplane was cleared to push and tow forward but did not advise him what taxi lane to follow. The tow tug driver also reported that he did not talk with the coordinator and that communications using the airplane's intercom system between himself and the brake rider were established before beginning the pushback from the gate, and also when leaving the gate. The pushback was performed with a brake rider, tow tug operator, and 2 wing walkers; the wing walkers departed the tow simultaneously with the airplane proceeding forward. The brake rider later reported that during the tow, he noted the airplane was proceeding towards the 6S taxi lane and tried to contact the tow tug driver several times using the aircraft's intercom but was unsuccessful. He flashed the airplane's lights to get the attention of the tow tug operator which was unsuccessful. The airplane was towed following the taxi lane "6S." Further review of the communications between the coordinator and the brake rider revealed he contacted the coordinator and advised that he was trying to get the attention of the brake rider but was unsuccessful. Another individual broadcast that the B777 clipped the B737 airplane. The tow tug driver reported that he attempted to communicate with the brake rider but did not receive any response; he then elected to stop the airplane short of spot "6." He exited the tow tug and noted that the headset cord was hanging on the ground but the plug remained connected to the service interphone system jack located on the nose landing gear strut assembly. Preliminary examination of the B737 airplane revealed that the rudder was fractured in two pieces. Preliminary review of an American airlines "concourse d extension apron and utilities project" dated April 23, 2002, indicates that taxi lane "6S" is designated for Boeing 757 airplanes, and taxi lane "6C" is designated for B777 and smaller airplanes.