Narrative:

Aircraft X was parked at gate and chocked. Passenger were deplaning via the jetway bridge. A single ramp contract provider employee was attempting to connect the pushback tug to the tow bar by herself. She repeatedly rammed the tow bar with the tug; in an attempt to align the pin (on tug) and tow bar causing the aircraft to be jarred severely. The flight attendant crew stated to me that they had to hang on to be kept from being knocked off their feet. When she was requested to remove the tow bar from the aircraft; the tow bar was jammed into the pushback hitch; with the hitch pin jammed in the hitch and tow bar. They attempted to disconnect the tow bar from the aircraft before disconnecting from the tug ramp contract provided then attempted to back the pushback up with the tow bar still connected to the tug and aircraft (the steering bypass pin had also been removed). After tow bar was removed I instructed ramp contract provider personnel in the area to never disconnect the tow bar before the pushback again. It was also observed by a witness that the pushback driver and other personnel were giving each other the 'high five.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated this contract provider has been written-up numerous times for safety issues. The contractor provides baggage handling (loading and unloading) and aircraft gate pushback services.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 LEAD MECHANIC REPORTS ON THE BEHAVIOR; LACK OF TRAINING AND DISREGARD FOR NOSE LNDG GEAR COMPONENTS; AS A CONTRACT PROVIDER FOR BAGGAGE LOADING AND PUSHBACK; ATTEMPTED TO HOOK-UP A TUG AND TOWBAR TO ACFT.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS PARKED AT GATE AND CHOCKED. PAX WERE DEPLANING VIA THE JETWAY BRIDGE. A SINGLE RAMP CONTRACT PROVIDER EMPLOYEE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CONNECT THE PUSHBACK TUG TO THE TOW BAR BY HERSELF. SHE REPEATEDLY RAMMED THE TOW BAR WITH THE TUG; IN AN ATTEMPT TO ALIGN THE PIN (ON TUG) AND TOW BAR CAUSING THE ACFT TO BE JARRED SEVERELY. THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW STATED TO ME THAT THEY HAD TO HANG ON TO BE KEPT FROM BEING KNOCKED OFF THEIR FEET. WHEN SHE WAS REQUESTED TO REMOVE THE TOW BAR FROM THE ACFT; THE TOW BAR WAS JAMMED INTO THE PUSHBACK HITCH; WITH THE HITCH PIN JAMMED IN THE HITCH AND TOW BAR. THEY ATTEMPTED TO DISCONNECT THE TOW BAR FROM THE ACFT BEFORE DISCONNECTING FROM THE TUG RAMP CONTRACT PROVIDED THEN ATTEMPTED TO BACK THE PUSHBACK UP WITH THE TOW BAR STILL CONNECTED TO THE TUG AND ACFT (THE STEERING BYPASS PIN HAD ALSO BEEN REMOVED). AFTER TOW BAR WAS REMOVED I INSTRUCTED RAMP CONTRACT PROVIDER PERSONNEL IN THE AREA TO NEVER DISCONNECT THE TOW BAR BEFORE THE PUSHBACK AGAIN. IT WAS ALSO OBSERVED BY A WITNESS THAT THE PUSHBACK DRIVER AND OTHER PERSONNEL WERE GIVING EACH OTHER THE 'HIGH FIVE.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THIS CONTRACT PROVIDER HAS BEEN WRITTEN-UP NUMEROUS TIMES FOR SAFETY ISSUES. THE CONTRACTOR PROVIDES BAGGAGE HANDLING (LOADING AND UNLOADING) AND ACFT GATE PUSHBACK SERVICES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.