B747-400 crew was pushed into a jetbridge as the tug driver turned the aircraft early.

Attributes
ACN	605045
Time
Date	200401
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	605045
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 28
ASRS Report	605044
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Flight had just experienced a 1 hour 30 min delay for connecting passenger and subsequent positive bag match. At XA15Z, ramp agent announced on flight interphone that he was ready for pushback. All pilot before start and before pushback checklists had been completed. After confirming that the ramp predep checks were complete, captain told pushback person he could release brakes, but to 'hold pushback.' this was acknowledged by pushback person. The first officer received pushback from ZZZ ground control and relayed to captain the clearance instructions. Pushback person was told to push back for runway 25R and that parking brake was confirmed released. Captain had to clarify that the tail of aircraft was to be facing west on taxiway C, at pushback person's request. Pushback was initiated and the aircraft struck the aft jetbridge at gate. The captain had to tell the pushback person to stop the push after contact with the jetbridge, as it must not have been apparent to him of the collision. Captain told pushback person not to move aircraft until maintenance had inspected the damage. After extent of damage was verified, aircraft was pulled back in to gate with maintenance supervision. Captain verified with the purser that there were no injuries to any passenger or flight attendants. Dispatch, maintenance, station operations and duty manager were notified. Substantial damage to left nose section of aircraft, angle of attack vane, aircraft skin and pitot system. Flight was canceled and retimed for the next day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 CREW WAS PUSHED INTO A JETBRIDGE AS THE TUG DRIVER TURNED THE ACFT EARLY.

Narrative: FLT HAD JUST EXPERIENCED A 1 HR 30 MIN DELAY FOR CONNECTING PAX AND SUBSEQUENT POSITIVE BAG MATCH. AT XA15Z, RAMP AGENT ANNOUNCED ON FLT INTERPHONE THAT HE WAS READY FOR PUSHBACK. ALL PLT BEFORE START AND BEFORE PUSHBACK CHKLISTS HAD BEEN COMPLETED. AFTER CONFIRMING THAT THE RAMP PREDEP CHKS WERE COMPLETE, CAPT TOLD PUSHBACK PERSON HE COULD RELEASE BRAKES, BUT TO 'HOLD PUSHBACK.' THIS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY PUSHBACK PERSON. THE FO RECEIVED PUSHBACK FROM ZZZ GND CTL AND RELAYED TO CAPT THE CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS. PUSHBACK PERSON WAS TOLD TO PUSH BACK FOR RWY 25R AND THAT PARKING BRAKE WAS CONFIRMED RELEASED. CAPT HAD TO CLARIFY THAT THE TAIL OF ACFT WAS TO BE FACING W ON TXWY C, AT PUSHBACK PERSON'S REQUEST. PUSHBACK WAS INITIATED AND THE ACFT STRUCK THE AFT JETBRIDGE AT GATE. THE CAPT HAD TO TELL THE PUSHBACK PERSON TO STOP THE PUSH AFTER CONTACT WITH THE JETBRIDGE, AS IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN APPARENT TO HIM OF THE COLLISION. CAPT TOLD PUSHBACK PERSON NOT TO MOVE ACFT UNTIL MAINT HAD INSPECTED THE DAMAGE. AFTER EXTENT OF DAMAGE WAS VERIFIED, ACFT WAS PULLED BACK IN TO GATE WITH MAINT SUPERVISION. CAPT VERIFIED WITH THE PURSER THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY PAX OR FLT ATTENDANTS. DISPATCH, MAINT, STATION OPS AND DUTY MGR WERE NOTIFIED. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO L NOSE SECTION OF ACFT, ANGLE OF ATTACK VANE, ACFT SKIN AND PITOT SYS. FLT WAS CANCELED AND RETIMED FOR THE NEXT DAY.

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.