Narrative:

Engines, checklist, normal. During pushback and clearance to start engines, the captain repeated a couple of calls to the push crew. We accomplished engine start during pushback and I began the taxi checklist after both engines were started. After the captain called parking brakes parked, cleared to disconnect, I contacted ground control for taxi clearance. I acknowledged the clearance and checked the hold short intersection on the airfield diagram and continued heads down in the cockpit on the taxi checklist. I crosschecked outside and saw no personnel or equipment in my field of view and called 'clear right.' the captain began to taxi and as I looked forward, I saw a ground crew man step into my field of view from under the nose of the aircraft. I forcefully said 'stop the aircraft,' and felt a bump from the nose gear area. The captain immediately stopped the aircraft, re-established intercom with the ground crew and assessed the situation. Nobody hurt, but damaged tire sidewalls from the towbar necessitated a double tire change. I could have supported the captain better in at least 2 ways: 1) while trying to stay ahead of the scenario by calling for taxi instructions as the ground crew disconnected, I diverted attention from the task of getting the ground crew safely away from the airplane. 2) my clear right technique focused on looking down the wing line without enough emphasis on clearing over the nose.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW HIT A TOW BAR AFTER THEY MOVED THE ACFT BEFORE THE SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE SIGNAL.

Narrative: ENGS, CHKLIST, NORMAL. DURING PUSHBACK AND CLRNC TO START ENGS, THE CAPT REPEATED A COUPLE OF CALLS TO THE PUSH CREW. WE ACCOMPLISHED ENG START DURING PUSHBACK AND I BEGAN THE TAXI CHKLIST AFTER BOTH ENGS WERE STARTED. AFTER THE CAPT CALLED PARKING BRAKES PARKED, CLRED TO DISCONNECT, I CONTACTED GND CTL FOR TAXI CLRNC. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND CHKED THE HOLD SHORT INTXN ON THE AIRFIELD DIAGRAM AND CONTINUED HEADS DOWN IN THE COCKPIT ON THE TAXI CHKLIST. I XCHKED OUTSIDE AND SAW NO PERSONNEL OR EQUIP IN MY FIELD OF VIEW AND CALLED 'CLR R.' THE CAPT BEGAN TO TAXI AND AS I LOOKED FORWARD, I SAW A GND CREW MAN STEP INTO MY FIELD OF VIEW FROM UNDER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. I FORCEFULLY SAID 'STOP THE ACFT,' AND FELT A BUMP FROM THE NOSE GEAR AREA. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT, RE-ESTABLISHED INTERCOM WITH THE GND CREW AND ASSESSED THE SIT. NOBODY HURT, BUT DAMAGED TIRE SIDEWALLS FROM THE TOWBAR NECESSITATED A DOUBLE TIRE CHANGE. I COULD HAVE SUPPORTED THE CAPT BETTER IN AT LEAST 2 WAYS: 1) WHILE TRYING TO STAY AHEAD OF THE SCENARIO BY CALLING FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AS THE GND CREW DISCONNECTED, I DIVERTED ATTN FROM THE TASK OF GETTING THE GND CREW SAFELY AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE. 2) MY CLR R TECHNIQUE FOCUSED ON LOOKING DOWN THE WING LINE WITHOUT ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON CLRING OVER THE NOSE.

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.