Ground conflict -- tug strikes its own aircraft during pushback.

Attributes
ACN	295003
Time
Date	199501
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : fra
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	295003
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 unspecified : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On jan/xx/95 our aircraft, A757 flight, was pushed back from the gate at philadelphia international airport. The pushback clearance was given by the company -- run tower employees. While the pushback was in progress another aircraft on the opposite terminal was also cleared for pushback. The mechanics pushing our 757 type aircraft observed the other aircraft and turned the 757 sharply to avoid jetblasting the other aircraft and pushback crew. The tug struck the 757 aircraft causing a 2 by 2 scratched area on the lower fuselage of the aircraft. The aircraft returned to the gate, the area was inspected and found to be within the 757 structural repair manual svcable limits for dispatch. The 2 mechanics involved were drug tested at the airport medical center. The company tower operators give multi pushback clrncs all the time, and create safety problems for pushback crews. These company controled tower operators qualifications are questionable and these operators are not drug tested after an incident occurs. Both supervisors and tower operators are reluctant to identify operators involved in these incidents.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND CONFLICT -- TUG STRIKES ITS OWN ACFT DURING PUSHBACK.

Narrative: ON JAN/XX/95 OUR ACFT, A757 FLT, WAS PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE AT PHILADELPHIA INTL ARPT. THE PUSHBACK CLRNC WAS GIVEN BY THE COMPANY -- RUN TWR EMPLOYEES. WHILE THE PUSHBACK WAS IN PROGRESS ANOTHER ACFT ON THE OPPOSITE TERMINAL WAS ALSO CLRED FOR PUSHBACK. THE MECHS PUSHING OUR 757 TYPE ACFT OBSERVED THE OTHER ACFT AND TURNED THE 757 SHARPLY TO AVOID JETBLASTING THE OTHER ACFT AND PUSHBACK CREW. THE TUG STRUCK THE 757 ACFT CAUSING A 2 BY 2 SCRATCHED AREA ON THE LOWER FUSELAGE OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT RETURNED TO THE GATE, THE AREA WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE WITHIN THE 757 STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL SVCABLE LIMITS FOR DISPATCH. THE 2 MECHS INVOLVED WERE DRUG TESTED AT THE ARPT MEDICAL CTR. THE COMPANY TWR OPERATORS GIVE MULTI PUSHBACK CLRNCS ALL THE TIME, AND CREATE SAFETY PROBS FOR PUSHBACK CREWS. THESE COMPANY CTLED TWR OPERATORS QUALIFICATIONS ARE QUESTIONABLE AND THESE OPERATORS ARE NOT DRUG TESTED AFTER AN INCIDENT OCCURS. BOTH SUPVRS AND TWR OPERATORS ARE RELUCTANT TO IDENT OPERATORS INVOLVED IN THESE INCIDENTS.

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.