Aircraft strikes tug during engine start in ramp operation pushback procedure.

Attributes
ACN	189666
Time
Date	199109
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	189666
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Pushback was normal. Cockpit and ground crew used interphone to initiate pushback clearance, brake release, and clearance to start engines. #2 engine was started, weight and balance closeout and passenger count were being discussed when crunch was heard. Ground crew then asked crew to set aircraft brakes -- too late. Ground crew stated they had asked flight crew to set brakes. Flight crew heard nothing from ground crew between clearance to start engine and request to set parking brake after tug and aircraft made contact.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT STRIKES TUG DURING ENG START IN RAMP OP PUSHBACK PROC.

Narrative: PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL. COCKPIT AND GND CREW USED INTERPHONE TO INITIATE PUSHBACK CLRNC, BRAKE RELEASE, AND CLRNC TO START ENGS. #2 ENG WAS STARTED, WT AND BAL CLOSEOUT AND PAX COUNT WERE BEING DISCUSSED WHEN CRUNCH WAS HEARD. GND CREW THEN ASKED CREW TO SET ACFT BRAKES -- TOO LATE. GND CREW STATED THEY HAD ASKED FLC TO SET BRAKES. FLC HEARD NOTHING FROM GND CREW BTWN CLRNC TO START ENG AND REQUEST TO SET PARKING BRAKE AFTER TUG AND ACFT MADE CONTACT.

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.