Aircraft hit tug after engine start.

Attributes
ACN	318790
Time
Date	199510
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-82
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	318790
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 155 flight time total : 11500
ASRS Report	318796
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical 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:

Prior to pushback there was considerable difficulty in establishing communications with the push crew. I finally resorted to the hand microphone to get adequate contact, although it was still marginal when we commenced pushback. I was hearing an intermittent hot microphone with scratchy low volume audio on the interphone. Ground control advised my first officer to push the aircraft out of the alley and on to taxiway a and pull up behind X. My first officer questioned these non-standard ground control instructions just as I briefly lost contact with our push crew. He advised ground that we could not comply and then communications were reestablished and the instructions relayed. Forward movement stopped abeam the gates on taxiway a and as I had not heard a clearance to start engines up to this point, which was well past our normal start area, I asked if we were cleared to start. The push crew advised we were cleared to start and we started both engines. After starting the second engine, I advised the push crew that they were clear to disconnect their interphone. I then observed the tug approaching the aircraft and stated that the tug was going to hit us. No feeling of movement or deceleration was felt as we heard the 2 vehicles contact for a few moments. At this point, I remain convinced that the aircraft was not moving.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT HIT TUG AFTER ENG START.

Narrative: PRIOR TO PUSHBACK THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY IN ESTABLISHING COMS WITH THE PUSH CREW. I FINALLY RESORTED TO THE HAND MIKE TO GET ADEQUATE CONTACT, ALTHOUGH IT WAS STILL MARGINAL WHEN WE COMMENCED PUSHBACK. I WAS HEARING AN INTERMITTENT HOT MIKE WITH SCRATCHY LOW VOLUME AUDIO ON THE INTERPHONE. GND CTL ADVISED MY FO TO PUSH THE ACFT OUT OF THE ALLEY AND ON TO TXWY A AND PULL UP BEHIND X. MY FO QUESTIONED THESE NON-STANDARD GND CTL INSTRUCTIONS JUST AS I BRIEFLY LOST CONTACT WITH OUR PUSH CREW. HE ADVISED GND THAT WE COULD NOT COMPLY AND THEN COMS WERE REESTABLISHED AND THE INSTRUCTIONS RELAYED. FORWARD MOVEMENT STOPPED ABEAM THE GATES ON TXWY A AND AS I HAD NOT HEARD A CLRNC TO START ENGS UP TO THIS POINT, WHICH WAS WELL PAST OUR NORMAL START AREA, I ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED TO START. THE PUSH CREW ADVISED WE WERE CLRED TO START AND WE STARTED BOTH ENGS. AFTER STARTING THE SECOND ENG, I ADVISED THE PUSH CREW THAT THEY WERE CLR TO DISCONNECT THEIR INTERPHONE. I THEN OBSERVED THE TUG APCHING THE ACFT AND STATED THAT THE TUG WAS GOING TO HIT US. NO FEELING OF MOVEMENT OR DECELERATION WAS FELT AS WE HEARD THE 2 VEHICLES CONTACT FOR A FEW MOMENTS. AT THIS POINT, I REMAIN CONVINCED THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT MOVING.

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.