A CL65 flight crew engaged the nosewheel before it was disconnected from the tug resulting in mainte...

Attributes
ACN	626887
Time
Date	200408
Day	Mon
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
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
ASRS Report	626887
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	626888
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On flight XXXX from ord to mdt on aug/xx/04, captain X, and first officer X were on board ready to push out of gate. After completing the before start checklist and requested pushback from ground control. We initiated a straight out push with a turn at the end. The push was performed at a quick pace and over some bumps. Once the aircraft was stopped the tug was not aligned with the nose. We had assumed the push was completed, and my first officer and I initiated our after start flows. When the nosewheel was engaged, the nosewheel which was at an angle with the tug straightened, causing the nosewheel and the tug to be unaligned. The result was that the ground crew was unable to disconnect which necessitated the need for maintenance to lift the nose from the tug to realign it. Maintenance and ramp crew worked for 20 mins, in an attempt to disconnect the tug. What conspired beneath us as the crew worked was difficult to determine from our point of view at the cockpit. Apparently one of the nosewheel tire was lacerated which led to a return to the gate, for replacement. Aircraft was swapped and the crew continued to mdt on another aircraft. Aircraft XXX was returned for a later flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 FLT CREW ENGAGED THE NOSEWHEEL BEFORE IT WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE TUG RESULTING IN MAINT TO REALIGN THE TUG AND NOSE GEAR. IT ALSO CAUSED A CUT ON THE NOSEWHEEL.

Narrative: ON FLT XXXX FROM ORD TO MDT ON AUG/XX/04, CAPT X, AND FO X WERE ON BOARD READY TO PUSH OUT OF GATE. AFTER COMPLETING THE BEFORE START CHKLIST AND REQUESTED PUSHBACK FROM GND CTL. WE INITIATED A STRAIGHT OUT PUSH WITH A TURN AT THE END. THE PUSH WAS PERFORMED AT A QUICK PACE AND OVER SOME BUMPS. ONCE THE ACFT WAS STOPPED THE TUG WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE NOSE. WE HAD ASSUMED THE PUSH WAS COMPLETED, AND MY FO AND I INITIATED OUR AFTER START FLOWS. WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL WAS ENGAGED, THE NOSEWHEEL WHICH WAS AT AN ANGLE WITH THE TUG STRAIGHTENED, CAUSING THE NOSEWHEEL AND THE TUG TO BE UNALIGNED. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE GND CREW WAS UNABLE TO DISCONNECT WHICH NECESSITATED THE NEED FOR MAINT TO LIFT THE NOSE FROM THE TUG TO REALIGN IT. MAINT AND RAMP CREW WORKED FOR 20 MINS, IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISCONNECT THE TUG. WHAT CONSPIRED BENEATH US AS THE CREW WORKED WAS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW AT THE COCKPIT. APPARENTLY ONE OF THE NOSEWHEEL TIRE WAS LACERATED WHICH LED TO A RETURN TO THE GATE, FOR REPLACEMENT. ACFT WAS SWAPPED AND THE CREW CONTINUED TO MDT ON ANOTHER ACFT. ACFT XXX WAS RETURNED FOR A LATER FLT.

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.

A CL65 flight crew engaged the nosewheel before it was disconnected from the tug resulting in maintenance to realign the tug and nose gear. It also caused a cut on the nosewheel.