Aircraft pushed back into truck causing dent in APU service door.

Attributes
ACN	285826
Time
Date	199410
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
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	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 10260 flight time type : 6190
ASRS Report	285826
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was captain of air carrier flight dca-ewr-buf. During pushback from gate, dca, the tug pushed us back about 15-20 ft, then stopped. Tug driver said he had to take us back to the gate. I asked what was the problem, he said we hit a truck on pushback. I got off the airplane at the gate and looked at the damage. APU access door had pretty good size dent. I called maintenance and dispatcher. I asked the wingwalker what happened. He said he was walking around the aircraft to make sure all was clear, when he saw the mail truck, but before he could get it to move, the tug pushed us into it. Apparently the tug driver did not monitor the wingwalker. I never saw the mail truck, nor did we feel the collision. It took maintenance 2 hours to determine the airworthiness of the aircraft and to clear my write-up in the aircraft logbook. We were late and it was dark, maybe the tug driver was in a hurry to do something else.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT PUSHED BACK INTO TRUCK CAUSING DENT IN APU SVC DOOR.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF ACR FLT DCA-EWR-BUF. DURING PUSHBACK FROM GATE, DCA, THE TUG PUSHED US BACK ABOUT 15-20 FT, THEN STOPPED. TUG DRIVER SAID HE HAD TO TAKE US BACK TO THE GATE. I ASKED WHAT WAS THE PROB, HE SAID WE HIT A TRUCK ON PUSHBACK. I GOT OFF THE AIRPLANE AT THE GATE AND LOOKED AT THE DAMAGE. APU ACCESS DOOR HAD PRETTY GOOD SIZE DENT. I CALLED MAINT AND DISPATCHER. I ASKED THE WINGWALKER WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID HE WAS WALKING AROUND THE ACFT TO MAKE SURE ALL WAS CLR, WHEN HE SAW THE MAIL TRUCK, BUT BEFORE HE COULD GET IT TO MOVE, THE TUG PUSHED US INTO IT. APPARENTLY THE TUG DRIVER DID NOT MONITOR THE WINGWALKER. I NEVER SAW THE MAIL TRUCK, NOR DID WE FEEL THE COLLISION. IT TOOK MAINT 2 HRS TO DETERMINE THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT AND TO CLR MY WRITE-UP IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. WE WERE LATE AND IT WAS DARK, MAYBE THE TUG DRIVER WAS IN A HURRY TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.

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.