Narrative:

On push back of flight air carrier, which left late because of deicing, the interphone cord was left hooked to the side of the nose gear because of haste, darkness, and not making sure to rechk it was free of aircraft. I pulled the plug out and thought I had pulled the hook at the same time to walk behind the gear to turn off the nosewell light. Not noticing the cord still hooked to the side of the gear, I backed the tug back to the gate, not seeing what had happened until I parked the tug. With the interphone cord (approximately 20 ft) separated from the tug, I started looking on the tow bar and ramp for it. By now the aircraft was taxiing for takeoff very fast to try to make up for lost time from deicing. By the time I told my lead what had transpired and he tried to call the aircraft to hold it and check for the cord, it was taking off. It landed in vancouver with the cord still attached by the hook. The only damage was a few black marks under the fuselage where the cord had blown back. Paying special attention to getting everything disconnected from the aircraft is the only solution I can learn from this lesson. To make sure things like a gear well light not turned off before push back will not side track me as this one did. I do believe in daylight this never would have occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CGP VEHICLE DRIVER FAILED TO REMOVE THE INTERCOM CORD FROM THE ACFT AFTER PUSH BACK RESULTING IN THE ACFT TAKING OFF AND GOING TO DEST WITH THE CORD ATTACHED TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: ON PUSH BACK OF FLT ACR, WHICH LEFT LATE BECAUSE OF DEICING, THE INTERPHONE CORD WAS LEFT HOOKED TO THE SIDE OF THE NOSE GEAR BECAUSE OF HASTE, DARKNESS, AND NOT MAKING SURE TO RECHK IT WAS FREE OF ACFT. I PULLED THE PLUG OUT AND THOUGHT I HAD PULLED THE HOOK AT THE SAME TIME TO WALK BEHIND THE GEAR TO TURN OFF THE NOSEWELL LIGHT. NOT NOTICING THE CORD STILL HOOKED TO THE SIDE OF THE GEAR, I BACKED THE TUG BACK TO THE GATE, NOT SEEING WHAT HAD HAPPENED UNTIL I PARKED THE TUG. WITH THE INTERPHONE CORD (APPROX 20 FT) SEPARATED FROM THE TUG, I STARTED LOOKING ON THE TOW BAR AND RAMP FOR IT. BY NOW THE ACFT WAS TAXIING FOR TKOF VERY FAST TO TRY TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME FROM DEICING. BY THE TIME I TOLD MY LEAD WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED AND HE TRIED TO CALL THE ACFT TO HOLD IT AND CHK FOR THE CORD, IT WAS TAKING OFF. IT LANDED IN VANCOUVER WITH THE CORD STILL ATTACHED BY THE HOOK. THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS A FEW BLACK MARKS UNDER THE FUSELAGE WHERE THE CORD HAD BLOWN BACK. PAYING SPECIAL ATTN TO GETTING EVERYTHING DISCONNECTED FROM THE ACFT IS THE ONLY SOLUTION I CAN LEARN FROM THIS LESSON. TO MAKE SURE THINGS LIKE A GEAR WELL LIGHT NOT TURNED OFF BEFORE PUSH BACK WILL NOT SIDE TRACK ME AS THIS ONE DID. I DO BELIEVE IN DAYLIGHT THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE OCCURRED.

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.