Narrative:

At bwi we were parked at gate, all passenger were loaded, the jetway was pulled away from the aircraft, and all the cargo doors were closed. At approximately PH50 EDT, I called ramp control and received clearance to pushback. The captain and I noticed we needed a pushback crew so I notified operations. A min later a mechanic arrived, entered the tag, and called us on the interphone, stating that he was waiting for a pushback helper. I called operations again and they said a pushback guide would be coming over from other gate when that pushback was completed. Shortly thereafter, the mechanic said he was ready to push and I reconfirmed with ramp control that it was ok to pushback at XA53 EDT. Right after the pushback started, the captain and I noticed the aircraft shudder somewhat and the pushback was stopped. The mechanic then informed us over the interphone that the left flap was damaged and the aircraft had struck a lavatory service truck. The captain asked the mechanic if we could be safely towed back to the jetway. After inspecting the damage the mechanic pulled the aircraft forward and the jetway was docked, and the passenger deplaned normally through the jetway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he did not make any inquiry to the ground crew regarding this incident. All he could say was that he 'thought' he had seen a wing walker coming towards his aircraft from the other gate, the right side of his aircraft. He felt that the tug driver was feeling as much schedule pressure as the crew. The captain had asked the tug driver several times about the availability and status of the other company ground personnel for the pushback. Supplemental information from acn 275556: the left wing flap and left main gear were damaged. There were no personal injuries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC-9 FLAPS AND GEAR DOOR SUFFERED ACFT DAMAGE DURING RAMP OP PUSHBACK.

Narrative: AT BWI WE WERE PARKED AT GATE, ALL PAX WERE LOADED, THE JETWAY WAS PULLED AWAY FROM THE ACFT, AND ALL THE CARGO DOORS WERE CLOSED. AT APPROX PH50 EDT, I CALLED RAMP CTL AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO PUSHBACK. THE CAPT AND I NOTICED WE NEEDED A PUSHBACK CREW SO I NOTIFIED OPS. A MIN LATER A MECH ARRIVED, ENTERED THE TAG, AND CALLED US ON THE INTERPHONE, STATING THAT HE WAS WAITING FOR A PUSHBACK HELPER. I CALLED OPS AGAIN AND THEY SAID A PUSHBACK GUIDE WOULD BE COMING OVER FROM OTHER GATE WHEN THAT PUSHBACK WAS COMPLETED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE MECH SAID HE WAS READY TO PUSH AND I RECONFIRMED WITH RAMP CTL THAT IT WAS OK TO PUSHBACK AT XA53 EDT. RIGHT AFTER THE PUSHBACK STARTED, THE CAPT AND I NOTICED THE ACFT SHUDDER SOMEWHAT AND THE PUSHBACK WAS STOPPED. THE MECH THEN INFORMED US OVER THE INTERPHONE THAT THE L FLAP WAS DAMAGED AND THE ACFT HAD STRUCK A LAVATORY SVC TRUCK. THE CAPT ASKED THE MECH IF WE COULD BE SAFELY TOWED BACK TO THE JETWAY. AFTER INSPECTING THE DAMAGE THE MECH PULLED THE ACFT FORWARD AND THE JETWAY WAS DOCKED, AND THE PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY THROUGH THE JETWAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE DID NOT MAKE ANY INQUIRY TO THE GND CREW REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. ALL HE COULD SAY WAS THAT HE 'THOUGHT' HE HAD SEEN A WING WALKER COMING TOWARDS HIS ACFT FROM THE OTHER GATE, THE R SIDE OF HIS ACFT. HE FELT THAT THE TUG DRIVER WAS FEELING AS MUCH SCHEDULE PRESSURE AS THE CREW. THE CAPT HAD ASKED THE TUG DRIVER SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY AND STATUS OF THE OTHER CGP FOR THE PUSHBACK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 275556: THE L WING FLAP AND L MAIN GEAR WERE DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES.

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.