Ramp operation tow in ends up with breaking aircraft's nose tow bar connection.

Attributes
ACN	264610
Time
Date	199402
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : buf
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : yul
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9800 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	264610
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During taxi-in buf, encountered nil braking. Landing was fair braking. All reports were 'good.' freezing rain had occurred prior to our arrival with no notification. Stopped aircraft and requested tow in from company. Tow crew did not follow their checklist (unknown to us they even had one for that situation), did not challenge us to switch off hydraulic pressure to nosewheel. We overlooked it (new situation, no checklist or SOP for it). They hooked up and called for brake release a little sooner than I expected. Result was broken tow bar connection on nosewheel. I should have retained command of aircraft until I was satisfied we were all ready for tow in.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAMP OP TOW IN ENDS UP WITH BREAKING ACFT'S NOSE TOW BAR CONNECTION.

Narrative: DURING TAXI-IN BUF, ENCOUNTERED NIL BRAKING. LNDG WAS FAIR BRAKING. ALL RPTS WERE 'GOOD.' FREEZING RAIN HAD OCCURRED PRIOR TO OUR ARR WITH NO NOTIFICATION. STOPPED ACFT AND REQUESTED TOW IN FROM COMPANY. TOW CREW DID NOT FOLLOW THEIR CHKLIST (UNKNOWN TO US THEY EVEN HAD ONE FOR THAT SIT), DID NOT CHALLENGE US TO SWITCH OFF HYD PRESSURE TO NOSEWHEEL. WE OVERLOOKED IT (NEW SIT, NO CHKLIST OR SOP FOR IT). THEY HOOKED UP AND CALLED FOR BRAKE RELEASE A LITTLE SOONER THAN I EXPECTED. RESULT WAS BROKEN TOW BAR CONNECTION ON NOSEWHEEL. I SHOULD HAVE RETAINED COMMAND OF ACFT UNTIL I WAS SATISFIED WE WERE ALL READY FOR TOW IN.

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.