[en] A model is developed and a series of calculations performed which pertain to the production of excited state atoms in collisions of ions with metal surfaces. The assumption is made that for hydrogen and helium the important interaction occurs along the surface exit trajectory. A simple model of the atom-surface interaction potential for this problem is developed. The lowest six adiabatic states of a hydrogen atom in the vicinity of the (structureless) surface are found variationally. These states, together with the WKB states for the conduction electrons in the metal, serve as a basis for the numerical solution of the time dependent Schroedinger equation in the semiclassical approximation. Core velocity is limited to the range 0.05 less than or equal to v less than or equal to 0.5 atomic units. The behavior of a helium atom in the same environment is studied in an approximate way using hydrogenic wave functions but with the unperturbed state energies for the singlet and triplet systems appearing as zeroth order splittings in the secular equations. The results show a strong dependence of calculated ratios of excited states on core velocity for hydrogen. The sensitivity of the results to variations in the work function of the metal (a series of calculations is performed for magnesium), ion exit velocity, and several model dependent parameters is discussed