Commercial Fixed Wing
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure
I was driving [a Super Tug with an observer]. We were dispatched and told it was a hot move. We waited for the ramp to finish and hooked up to the plane. I called ramp tower for clearance once we went wheels-up. Ramp tower cleared us to the North Spot. I thought this was odd but decided I could get the plane off of the gate behind the airplane at the south spot without incident. I completed my turn in the alley and was on the centerline. The ramp tower advised me to continue coming back to allow inbound traffic into the gate. My observer had the TTWS (Tow Team Warning System) wands and I was on the centerline. I decided it was safe to go as far as I could. At no time was I alerted that my wingtips were in proximity to another aircraft. Ramp tower told me I was back far enough. I contacted [my observer] and told him we were good. I spun my chair and waited for [the observer] to enter the tug. [The observer] advised me that 'our wing went over the tail (horizontal stabilizer)' of the 787 [at the adjacent gate]. We tried several things to get the aircraft out of the alley. Eventually; it was determined to move the 737 [at a nearby gate] forward to give me wingtip clearance. (I had to maneuver my tug left of the centerline to clear my wingtip from the 787. The move was completed without any further incident.
Super Tug Driver reported being advised of ground conflict with parked aircraft after tow completion.