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A commercial fixed wing large transport after pushback when being towed forward the tow bar broke allowing the aircraft to roll forward striking the tug.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 387353 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199712 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bei airport : bwi |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 387353 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 370 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 370 |
| ASRS Report | 387698 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Aircraft was pushed back from gate xx after engine start. Communications were established with tug driver prior to pushback. After pushback, tug driver started a pull forward to clear the terminal area. At this time a thump was heard and felt by the flight crew. The aircraft was still moving forward as no command to stop had been received on the headset. The taxi director in front of the aircraft signaled stop and as brakes were applied, a second thump was heard and felt as the aircraft impacted the now stopped tug. Tow bar had broken allowing the aircraft to continue forward and impact tug. Supplemental information from acn 387698: the tow bar pin had failed and the tug driver had panicked and stopped. The tow bar bent 90% and the aircraft continued rolling. The tug driver was connected by headset but gave no indication of difficulty at any time. I believe the problem was due to complacency on the part of the ground crew. As it is difficult to see the tug from inside the aircraft, good communication is important, but ground crew rarely seem to understand the problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING LGT AFTER PUSHBACK WHEN BEING TOWED FORWARD THE TOW BAR BROKE ALLOWING THE ACFT TO ROLL FORWARD STRIKING THE TUG.
Narrative: ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK FROM GATE XX AFTER ENG START. COMS WERE ESTABLISHED WITH TUG DRIVER PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. AFTER PUSHBACK, TUG DRIVER STARTED A PULL FORWARD TO CLR THE TERMINAL AREA. AT THIS TIME A THUMP WAS HEARD AND FELT BY THE FLC. THE ACFT WAS STILL MOVING FORWARD AS NO COMMAND TO STOP HAD BEEN RECEIVED ON THE HEADSET. THE TAXI DIRECTOR IN FRONT OF THE ACFT SIGNALED STOP AND AS BRAKES WERE APPLIED, A SECOND THUMP WAS HEARD AND FELT AS THE ACFT IMPACTED THE NOW STOPPED TUG. TOW BAR HAD BROKEN ALLOWING THE ACFT TO CONTINUE FORWARD AND IMPACT TUG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 387698: THE TOW BAR PIN HAD FAILED AND THE TUG DRIVER HAD PANICKED AND STOPPED. THE TOW BAR BENT 90% AND THE ACFT CONTINUED ROLLING. THE TUG DRIVER WAS CONNECTED BY HEADSET BUT GAVE NO INDICATION OF DIFFICULTY AT ANY TIME. I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS DUE TO COMPLACENCY ON THE PART OF THE GND CREW. AS IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE TUG FROM INSIDE THE ACFT, GOOD COM IS IMPORTANT, BUT GND CREW RARELY SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE PROB.
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.