<< >> NASA ASRS Report 401300, May 1998

Captain of a B727 hit towbar when aircraft rolled forward after pushback. Minor damage to aircraft only which was fixed overnight. Distraction to captain due to surrounding noise and not being able to see the tug driver led the captain to believe that it was all clear.

Attributes
ACN	401300
Time
Date	199805
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 10800
ASRS Report	401300
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During pushback after towbar disconnected communication with ground crew was difficult due to poor intercom quality and aircraft engine noise. While listening to other crew members doing checklists and also listening to ground control, which was discussing our position as a conflict with an incoming aircraft to our gate, my attention was diverted away from the ground pushback crew. I could not see the tug or ground crew, and in my mind they had left the aircraft and were clear. I released the brakes and the aircraft rolled forward and hit the disconnected towbar. Minor damage to aircraft, but no damage to towbar or ground personnel. Aircraft repaired overnight and returned to service next morning. Suggestions: design procedures on the ground to give the captain more time to deal with multiple incoming communications. Put some vertical visual indicator on ground equipment, so equipment can be seen from aircraft cockpit.

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• Tired from a short overnight and distraction by other events...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B727 HIT TOWBAR WHEN ACFT ROLLED FORWARD AFTER PUSHBACK. MINOR DAMAGE TO ACFT ONLY WHICH WAS FIXED OVERNIGHT. DISTR TO CAPT DUE TO SURROUNDING NOISE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE TUG DRIVER LED THE CAPT TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS ALL CLR.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK AFTER TOWBAR DISCONNECTED COM WITH GND CREW WAS DIFFICULT DUE TO POOR INTERCOM QUALITY AND ACFT ENG NOISE. WHILE LISTENING TO OTHER CREW MEMBERS DOING CHKLISTS AND ALSO LISTENING TO GND CTL, WHICH WAS DISCUSSING OUR POS AS A CONFLICT WITH AN INCOMING ACFT TO OUR GATE, MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED AWAY FROM THE GND PUSHBACK CREW. I COULD NOT SEE THE TUG OR GND CREW, AND IN MY MIND THEY HAD LEFT THE ACFT AND WERE CLR. I RELEASED THE BRAKES AND THE ACFT ROLLED FORWARD AND HIT THE DISCONNECTED TOWBAR. MINOR DAMAGE TO ACFT, BUT NO DAMAGE TO TOWBAR OR GND PERSONNEL. ACFT REPAIRED OVERNIGHT AND RETURNED TO SVC NEXT MORNING. SUGGESTIONS: DESIGN PROCS ON THE GND TO GIVE THE CAPT MORE TIME TO DEAL WITH MULTIPLE INCOMING COMS. PUT SOME VERT VISUAL INDICATOR ON GND EQUIP, SO EQUIP CAN BE SEEN FROM ACFT COCKPIT.

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.