Narrative:

I pushed aircraft xyz air carrier abc which air carrier is contracted to push back from gate before disconnecting tow bar from aircraft. I gave the captain to start engines so he attempted to start r-hand engine. He reports not enough air pressure to start. I told him to shut down his air packs, still not enough air. He tells me to pull back to gate and get a starter truck to start engine. I pulled the aircraft to gate. I overshot the marks. I was going in reverse. When I looked forward the aircraft was 10 inches from the loading bridge. I applied my brakes but momentum took me into the bridge. Aircraft struck the bridge made a 2 inch by 6 inch hole in the leading edge between #2 leading edge slat and inboard slat on the stationary piece above #1 engine pylon. With production permit from abc maintenance we taped over the hole and deferred the maintenance to vancouver, back course. It turned out the crew was not familiar at to start engine with a wing anti valve wired in the open position therefore most of the air pressure was being dumped into the r-hand wing anti-ice. If the crew knew about isolation of the r-hand wing anti-ice, we would have had enough air pressure to start engines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 INCURRED LEADING EDGE SLAT DAMAGE WHEN TOWED ONTO A GATE STRIKING AN IMPROPERLY PARKED JETWAY.

Narrative: I PUSHED ACFT XYZ ACR ABC WHICH ACR IS CONTRACTED TO PUSH BACK FROM GATE BEFORE DISCONNECTING TOW BAR FROM ACFT. I GAVE THE CAPT TO START ENGS SO HE ATTEMPTED TO START R-HAND ENG. HE RPTS NOT ENOUGH AIR PRESSURE TO START. I TOLD HIM TO SHUT DOWN HIS AIR PACKS, STILL NOT ENOUGH AIR. HE TELLS ME TO PULL BACK TO GATE AND GET A STARTER TRUCK TO START ENG. I PULLED THE ACFT TO GATE. I OVERSHOT THE MARKS. I WAS GOING IN REVERSE. WHEN I LOOKED FORWARD THE ACFT WAS 10 INCHES FROM THE LOADING BRIDGE. I APPLIED MY BRAKES BUT MOMENTUM TOOK ME INTO THE BRIDGE. ACFT STRUCK THE BRIDGE MADE A 2 INCH BY 6 INCH HOLE IN THE LEADING EDGE BTWN #2 LEADING EDGE SLAT AND INBOARD SLAT ON THE STATIONARY PIECE ABOVE #1 ENG PYLON. WITH PRODUCTION PERMIT FROM ABC MAINT WE TAPED OVER THE HOLE AND DEFERRED THE MAINT TO VANCOUVER, BC. IT TURNED OUT THE CREW WAS NOT FAMILIAR AT TO START ENG WITH A WING ANTI VALVE WIRED IN THE OPEN POS THEREFORE MOST OF THE AIR PRESSURE WAS BEING DUMPED INTO THE R-HAND WING ANTI-ICE. IF THE CREW KNEW ABOUT ISOLATION OF THE R-HAND WING ANTI-ICE, WE WOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH AIR PRESSURE TO START ENGS.

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.