An MD88 is damaged during pushback when a towbar comes loose.

Attributes
ACN	634369
Time
Date	200410
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) 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
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 4300
ASRS Report	634369
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Aircraft was cleared to pushback, brakes were released and clearance was relayed to tug driver. Towbar was felt to jump free of wheel. Driver relayed that it was now disconnected and had damaged aircraft including hydraulic fluid spraying on ramp. He called for brakes set and they were reset, then ramp tower and maintenance were notified.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 IS DAMAGED DURING PUSHBACK WHEN A TOWBAR COMES LOOSE.

Narrative: ACFT WAS CLRED TO PUSHBACK, BRAKES WERE RELEASED AND CLRNC WAS RELAYED TO TUG DRIVER. TOWBAR WAS FELT TO JUMP FREE OF WHEEL. DRIVER RELAYED THAT IT WAS NOW DISCONNECTED AND HAD DAMAGED ACFT INCLUDING HYD FLUID SPRAYING ON RAMP. HE CALLED FOR BRAKES SET AND THEY WERE RESET, THEN RAMP TWR AND MAINT WERE NOTIFIED.

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.