Embraer Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Workload; Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Ground Event / Encounter Aircraft
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Airport; Human Factors
After landing on RWY XX in ZZZ; we taxied out. Ramp Control told us it will be a couple of minutes before being cleared to the gate. So; Ground instructed continue [and] right turn on [taxiway] and hold short of [another] taxiway. As we were taxiing into [gate]; there is a curve taxiway that continue. There was a lot of airplanes stop there knowing waiting to be cleared for their gates. [Air Carrier] was to our right in a complete stop; I confirmed that we were cleared with the tail section. Then; I confirmed we were cleared with their wingtip. Captain asks me again if we were cleared from there wingtip stating if we were below it. From the angle I was looking and my prospective; I was completely sure we were clear and then we stopped by hitting [the Air Carrier's] wing tip with ours.As we know; ZZZ is a small airport and always jammed with a lot of airplane; and we are normally used to taxiing so close to each other. [This time]; factors [were] we had airplanes behind; the sun in my face; the angle I was looking at the wingtips and my prospective failed on me; [so] we ended up hitting another airplanes wingtip.After this incident I realized that even if I'm completing sure that I'm clear to taxi; knowing we are close to each other; I'll prefer to wait to have more than normal space in between each other even if ATC doesn't like [it] because the norm in these airports [is] to not stop taxiing until your clearance point or to be taxiing very close to each other. I've learned to reconsider my judgment on decisions that could lead to not wanted situations like this one.
Upon landing on Runway XX; we were told to 'make 2 left turns; company 1 mile behind you; contact ground'. After clearing Runway XX in ZZZ; we were told by Ramp that we would have a little wait to get to the gate. When we informed Ground of the gate and wait time; they gave us the [taxi] instructions.At that time; we could see that there was a backup on [taxiway] heading eastward; [Air Carrier] was clearly stopped on taxiway. As we got closer to [Air Carrier]; it looked like it would be a narrow space in which to pass; so I slowed down to about 2 knots to allow the First Officer to visually assess the distance before we proceeded. When I asked if we were clear; the First Officer leaned forward and gripped the hand hold to get a better angle in which to view the wing tip; he said we were clear. I asked again if we would be clear of the wing tip; and he responded yes. The third time I asked 'Are we under the wing tip?' and he responded 'yes.'About a second later; we came to a stop due to impacting the wingtip fence of the [other aircraft]. Afterwards; the First Officer made the ATC calls and I called the Flight Attendants and made a PA to the passengers. Everyone onboard the [other Air Carrier] flight was okay and they proceeded to their gate. After we got to the gate and opened the flight deck door; the A-Flight Attendant told us that a female in mid-cabin was crying and said her neck hurt. We called OPS on the radio and got the EMS to come to the aircraft. As the First Officer was attending to the female passenger; I was on the phone with Dispatch; the [Chief Pilot]; and Maintenance Control.Lack of using an abundance of caution. [Suggestions are that we] use the same techniques we use for calling a GA or verifying an assigned altitude: if either pilot thinks clearance is in doubt; put the brakes on and reassess the situation.
During taxi; flight crew failed to judge distance between aircraft and aircraft wingtips came in contact causing minor damage.