Narrative:

During pushback at stl, starting right engine, as right engine was stabilizing and after start 1 checklist being completed, heard loud noise. Looked up and saw that aircraft and the tug had come together. During the pushback I didn't hear the ground crew tell the captain to set the brakes, indicating that they had finished the pushback. After noise was heard, I then heard the ground crew tell the captain to set the brakes. After ground crew looked at damage, they had crew taxi aircraft back to gate. The flight was cancelled. Position #1 flight attendant confirmed passenger count when she felt the aircraft come to a stop, not knowing that parking brake had not been set and that the ground crew still had control over the aircraft. Crew then drug tested. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after report analysis completed reporter returned call. Says that company was drug testing the ground crew and just felt it more appropriate to drug test everyone involved. Results negative. Radome damaged and radar antenna broken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON PUSHBACK HEARD LOUD NOISE. ACFT AND TUG COLLIDED. RETURN TO GATE.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK AT STL, STARTING R ENG, AS R ENG WAS STABILIZING AND AFTER START 1 CHKLIST BEING COMPLETED, HEARD LOUD NOISE. LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT ACFT AND THE TUG HAD COME TOGETHER. DURING THE PUSHBACK I DIDN'T HEAR THE GND CREW TELL THE CAPT TO SET THE BRAKES, INDICATING THAT THEY HAD FINISHED THE PUSHBACK. AFTER NOISE WAS HEARD, I THEN HEARD THE GND CREW TELL THE CAPT TO SET THE BRAKES. AFTER GND CREW LOOKED AT DAMAGE, THEY HAD CREW TAXI ACFT BACK TO GATE. THE FLT WAS CANCELLED. POS #1 FLT ATTENDANT CONFIRMED PAX COUNT WHEN SHE FELT THE ACFT COME TO A STOP, NOT KNOWING THAT PARKING BRAKE HAD NOT BEEN SET AND THAT THE GND CREW STILL HAD CTL OVER THE ACFT. CREW THEN DRUG TESTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER RPT ANALYSIS COMPLETED RPTR RETURNED CALL. SAYS THAT COMPANY WAS DRUG TESTING THE GND CREW AND JUST FELT IT MORE APPROPRIATE TO DRUG TEST EVERYONE INVOLVED. RESULTS NEGATIVE. RADOME DAMAGED AND RADAR ANTENNA BROKEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.