SF34 under tow from gate at iad strikes terminal with left wingtip. Absence of voice communications ...

Attributes
ACN	629313
Time
Date	200408
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	629313
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We were commencing pushback. The #2 engine was spinning. The tug initially pulled the aircraft forward. He then pushed back about the same distance (approximately 5-10 ft). After that he began to pull forward again. The captain and I saw our aircraft approaching the terminal at an angle, therefore the left wingtip area was coming dangerously close to the building. We tried to give appropriate hand signals to stop, use of hydraulic pump to create noise, and taxi and landing lights, none of which were successful in preventing the collision. The left wingtip struck the building causing significant damage to both wing and building. Once we realized the aircraft had been pulled forward beyond the SAAB340 parking stop marking, we tried giving all of the above signals to prevent the aircraft from being moved any further. Because the aircraft was moving forward, emergency braking was not applied due to nose gear structural consideration. Had the nose gear structural limitations been exceeded the nose gear could have collapsed causing significantly more damage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF34 UNDER TOW FROM GATE AT IAD STRIKES TERMINAL WITH L WINGTIP. ABSENCE OF VOICE COMS WITH GND PERSONNEL RESULTED IN FLT CREW INABILITY TO WARN THEM.

Narrative: WE WERE COMMENCING PUSHBACK. THE #2 ENG WAS SPINNING. THE TUG INITIALLY PULLED THE ACFT FORWARD. HE THEN PUSHED BACK ABOUT THE SAME DISTANCE (APPROX 5-10 FT). AFTER THAT HE BEGAN TO PULL FORWARD AGAIN. THE CAPT AND I SAW OUR ACFT APCHING THE TERMINAL AT AN ANGLE, THEREFORE THE L WINGTIP AREA WAS COMING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE BUILDING. WE TRIED TO GIVE APPROPRIATE HAND SIGNALS TO STOP, USE OF HYD PUMP TO CREATE NOISE, AND TAXI AND LNDG LIGHTS, NONE OF WHICH WERE SUCCESSFUL IN PREVENTING THE COLLISION. THE L WINGTIP STRUCK THE BUILDING CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO BOTH WING AND BUILDING. ONCE WE REALIZED THE ACFT HAD BEEN PULLED FORWARD BEYOND THE SAAB340 PARKING STOP MARKING, WE TRIED GIVING ALL OF THE ABOVE SIGNALS TO PREVENT THE ACFT FROM BEING MOVED ANY FURTHER. BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS MOVING FORWARD, EMER BRAKING WAS NOT APPLIED DUE TO NOSE GEAR STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATION. HAD THE NOSE GEAR STRUCTURAL LIMITATIONS BEEN EXCEEDED THE NOSE GEAR COULD HAVE COLLAPSED CAUSING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DAMAGE.

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.

SF34 under tow from gate at iad strikes terminal with left wingtip. Absence of voice communications with ground personnel resulted in flight crew inability to warn them.