Captain of air carrier medium large transport aircraft hit tow tug with nose of aircraft during gate...

Attributes
ACN	232082
Time
Date	199201
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sna
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	232082
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was taxiing to gate X in pittsburgh (where we park by ourselves using a convex mirror to see the stop line, with no signal an). As the aircraft rolled to a stop the radome contacted the pushback tug. This contact punched a hole in the radome. It seems the tug was not positioned at the correct spot after having pushed back the previous aircraft. However this is not apparent to an arriving crew, as the tug is always sitting in front of you when we arrive at the gate. If the tug is positioned 12 inches too close to the aircraft it will cause a collision. However, this small amount is not noticeable to the crew. I would suggest that the airline paint yellow lines on the ramp the crew could see, that the tug must be behind, so we would know we had enough room to park. In this aircraft (medium large transport aircraft) as you approach the gate, the tug disappears below the nose, before you stop. It also cannot be seen in the convex parking mirror.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG ACFT HIT TOW TUG WITH NOSE OF ACFT DURING GATE PARKING.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING TO GATE X IN PITTSBURGH (WHERE WE PARK BY OURSELVES USING A CONVEX MIRROR TO SEE THE STOP LINE, WITH NO SIGNAL AN). AS THE ACFT ROLLED TO A STOP THE RADOME CONTACTED THE PUSHBACK TUG. THIS CONTACT PUNCHED A HOLE IN THE RADOME. IT SEEMS THE TUG WAS NOT POSITIONED AT THE CORRECT SPOT AFTER HAVING PUSHED BACK THE PREVIOUS ACFT. HOWEVER THIS IS NOT APPARENT TO AN ARRIVING CREW, AS THE TUG IS ALWAYS SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU WHEN WE ARRIVE AT THE GATE. IF THE TUG IS POSITIONED 12 INCHES TOO CLOSE TO THE ACFT IT WILL CAUSE A COLLISION. HOWEVER, THIS SMALL AMOUNT IS NOT NOTICEABLE TO THE CREW. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE AIRLINE PAINT YELLOW LINES ON THE RAMP THE CREW COULD SEE, THAT THE TUG MUST BE BEHIND, SO WE WOULD KNOW WE HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO PARK. IN THIS ACFT (MLG ACFT) AS YOU APCH THE GATE, THE TUG DISAPPEARS BELOW THE NOSE, BEFORE YOU STOP. IT ALSO CANNOT BE SEEN IN THE CONVEX PARKING MIRROR.

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.

Captain of air carrier medium large transport aircraft hit tow tug with nose of aircraft during gate parking.