B757-200 crew hit a tug with #1 engine after beginning taxi at bos.

Attributes
ACN	579450
Time
Date	200304
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1650
ASRS Report	579450
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	579168
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle ground encounters other non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Our flight pushed back from gate in bos at XA30 local time. After coming to a stop on taxiway a, the tug driver requested, via flight interphone, that we set brakes. I replied 'brakes set, cleared to disconnect, thanks for the good push.' I noticed the first officer reviewing his chart in preparation for taxi. I told him that I was familiar with the usual taxi out to runway 22R. We could see all the way out to the runway and noted there probably wouldn't be any aircraft in front of us. I looked out and observed that the area in front of us was clear. I then instructed the first officer to call for taxi. Bos ground control cleared our flight to taxi via txwys a and north to runway 22R. When I released the brakes to initiate taxi, the aircraft began to move forward slowly without any addition of power, as we were relatively light weight (175000 pounds). Almost immediately after the aircraft began to move, I felt what I thought was an impact or the aircraft running over something. I brought the aircraft to a stop, hesitated a moment, and shut down both engines. The aircraft was subsequently towed back to gate and the passenger deplaned. We had hit the tug with the leading edge of the left engine. Better training of the ground crew (ie, the safety observer staying in position in front of the aircraft, and the tug not parked in front of the engine, would have precluded this incident). Supplemental information from acn 579168: the captain then instructed me to request taxi clearance. I looked up and could see no one on the ramp to the front and right of the aircraft. The captain appeared to be observing the front and left of the aircraft at this time. The boston ground controller cleared our flight to taxi to runway 22R. Captain asked me to verify that we were clear to the right, which I did. The captain then released brakes. The aircraft began to move forward. The ground controller then instructed us to stop taxi. The captain brought the aircraft to an abrupt stop and shut down both engines. The aircraft struck the tug vehicle. The left engine cowling was damaged. Later found out safety observer left post in front of aircraft to help with sticky tow bar. Tug was parked very close to left engine, out of view of captain.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW HIT A TUG WITH #1 ENG AFTER BEGINNING TAXI AT BOS.

Narrative: OUR FLT PUSHED BACK FROM GATE IN BOS AT XA30 LCL TIME. AFTER COMING TO A STOP ON TXWY A, THE TUG DRIVER REQUESTED, VIA FLT INTERPHONE, THAT WE SET BRAKES. I REPLIED 'BRAKES SET, CLRED TO DISCONNECT, THANKS FOR THE GOOD PUSH.' I NOTICED THE FO REVIEWING HIS CHART IN PREPARATION FOR TAXI. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE USUAL TAXI OUT TO RWY 22R. WE COULD SEE ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE RWY AND NOTED THERE PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE ANY ACFT IN FRONT OF US. I LOOKED OUT AND OBSERVED THAT THE AREA IN FRONT OF US WAS CLR. I THEN INSTRUCTED THE FO TO CALL FOR TAXI. BOS GND CTL CLRED OUR FLT TO TAXI VIA TXWYS A AND N TO RWY 22R. WHEN I RELEASED THE BRAKES TO INITIATE TAXI, THE ACFT BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD SLOWLY WITHOUT ANY ADDITION OF PWR, AS WE WERE RELATIVELY LIGHT WT (175000 LBS). ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACFT BEGAN TO MOVE, I FELT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN IMPACT OR THE ACFT RUNNING OVER SOMETHING. I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP, HESITATED A MOMENT, AND SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS. THE ACFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED BACK TO GATE AND THE PAX DEPLANED. WE HAD HIT THE TUG WITH THE LEADING EDGE OF THE L ENG. BETTER TRAINING OF THE GND CREW (IE, THE SAFETY OBSERVER STAYING IN POS IN FRONT OF THE ACFT, AND THE TUG NOT PARKED IN FRONT OF THE ENG, WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED THIS INCIDENT). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 579168: THE CAPT THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO REQUEST TAXI CLRNC. I LOOKED UP AND COULD SEE NO ONE ON THE RAMP TO THE FRONT AND R OF THE ACFT. THE CAPT APPEARED TO BE OBSERVING THE FRONT AND L OF THE ACFT AT THIS TIME. THE BOSTON GND CTLR CLRED OUR FLT TO TAXI TO RWY 22R. CAPT ASKED ME TO VERIFY THAT WE WERE CLR TO THE R, WHICH I DID. THE CAPT THEN RELEASED BRAKES. THE ACFT BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD. THE GND CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED US TO STOP TAXI. THE CAPT BROUGHT THE ACFT TO AN ABRUPT STOP AND SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS. THE ACFT STRUCK THE TUG VEHICLE. THE L ENG COWLING WAS DAMAGED. LATER FOUND OUT SAFETY OBSERVER LEFT POST IN FRONT OF ACFT TO HELP WITH STICKY TOW BAR. TUG WAS PARKED VERY CLOSE TO L ENG, OUT OF VIEW OF CAPT.

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.