<< >> NASA ASRS Report 157332, September 1990

During new procedure of pushback of small transport aircraft ground crew allegedly released the tow bar before giving flight crew the brakes on signal.

Attributes
ACN	157332
Time
Date	199009
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	157332
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

At our carrier we have just started pushback procedures utilizing small tractors and tow bars. We were trained through the use of handouts and a take home written test. No practice push backs were done nor was any ground school provided for the procedure. During my 6TH (approximately) push back we were pushed out of the gate and upon stopping, while my head was down reading a portion of the push back checklist one of the ground crew released the tow bar before we were given the set brakes hand signal. We were barely able to stop before we hurt the ground crew and/or struck the push back tractor. I feel that the use of headsets could help to prevent this problem from happening again by providing audio as well as visibility stimulus and more thorough training of flight crews and ground personnel before attempting this procedure would also help prevent future problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING NEW PROC OF PUSHBACK OF SMT ACFT GND CREW ALLEGEDLY RELEASED THE TOW BAR BEFORE GIVING FLT CREW THE BRAKES ON SIGNAL.

Narrative: AT OUR CARRIER WE HAVE JUST STARTED PUSHBACK PROCS UTILIZING SMALL TRACTORS AND TOW BARS. WE WERE TRAINED THROUGH THE USE OF HANDOUTS AND A TAKE HOME WRITTEN TEST. NO PRACTICE PUSH BACKS WERE DONE NOR WAS ANY GND SCHOOL PROVIDED FOR THE PROC. DURING MY 6TH (APPROX) PUSH BACK WE WERE PUSHED OUT OF THE GATE AND UPON STOPPING, WHILE MY HEAD WAS DOWN READING A PORTION OF THE PUSH BACK CHKLIST ONE OF THE GND CREW RELEASED THE TOW BAR BEFORE WE WERE GIVEN THE SET BRAKES HAND SIGNAL. WE WERE BARELY ABLE TO STOP BEFORE WE HURT THE GND CREW AND/OR STRUCK THE PUSH BACK TRACTOR. I FEEL THAT THE USE OF HEADSETS COULD HELP TO PREVENT THIS PROB FROM HAPPENING AGAIN BY PROVIDING AUDIO AS WELL AS VIS STIMULUS AND MORE THOROUGH TRNING OF FLT CREWS AND GND PERSONNEL BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS PROC WOULD ALSO HELP PREVENT FUTURE PROBS.

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.