Aircraft damaged during ramp operation pushback.

Attributes
ACN	229487
Time
Date	199212
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6900 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	229487
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

A routine pushback ended in damage to the radome. There were 3 people responsible to pushback. 1) tug driver, 2) headset operator, 3) wing walker. Proper commands and procedures were followed. With the aircraft at 150300 pounds, the push began on a slight up hill, then as the tug operator began to turn the tail to his left the ramp slope went slightly negative. The ramp was snow packed and large areas of ice were about. The tug angle to aircraft became great -- in the cockpit the sound of damages of $14000.00 was not good, the tug cap upper left corner contacted the radome and tore a 14 inch hole. The aircraft was stopped and company notified. In my own 5 yrs of pushing back air carrier aircraft I learned a valuable lesson. When pushing back aircraft during less than perfect conditions, the angle to aircraft must be kept to a minimum (stay away from the tow limits, these are your safety margins) and always be aware of ramp slope.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED DURING RAMP OP PUSHBACK.

Narrative: A ROUTINE PUSHBACK ENDED IN DAMAGE TO THE RADOME. THERE WERE 3 PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE TO PUSHBACK. 1) TUG DRIVER, 2) HEADSET OPERATOR, 3) WING WALKER. PROPER COMMANDS AND PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. WITH THE ACFT AT 150300 LBS, THE PUSH BEGAN ON A SLIGHT UP HILL, THEN AS THE TUG OPERATOR BEGAN TO TURN THE TAIL TO HIS L THE RAMP SLOPE WENT SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE. THE RAMP WAS SNOW PACKED AND LARGE AREAS OF ICE WERE ABOUT. THE TUG ANGLE TO ACFT BECAME GREAT -- IN THE COCKPIT THE SOUND OF DAMAGES OF $14000.00 WAS NOT GOOD, THE TUG CAP UPPER L CORNER CONTACTED THE RADOME AND TORE A 14 INCH HOLE. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED AND COMPANY NOTIFIED. IN MY OWN 5 YRS OF PUSHING BACK ACR ACFT I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON. WHEN PUSHING BACK ACFT DURING LESS THAN PERFECT CONDITIONS, THE ANGLE TO ACFT MUST BE KEPT TO A MINIMUM (STAY AWAY FROM THE TOW LIMITS, THESE ARE YOUR SAFETY MARGINS) AND ALWAYS BE AWARE OF RAMP SLOPE.

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.