An air carrier medium large transport was damaged in pushback.

Attributes
ACN	293536
Time
Date	199501
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	293536
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While being pushed back in memphis, both engines running, we were informed of the need to pick up additional passenger. The tug used for pushback was now pulling us back to the gate. The driver was on radio communications with the captain. About 30 seconds into the tow a series of 'clunks' could be heard in the cockpit area. The captain stopped the aircraft. I proceeded to inspect the damage and view 2 holes about 5- 6 inches in diameter on the right side of the aircraft. What had happened was while the aircraft was being pulled, the tug -- which was a small baggage type tug, not the normal tug used for maneuvering large aircraft. With both engines running, the small tug and the ramp heading back to the gate in a decline was an accident waiting to happen. The tug driver saw the aircraft building speed and tried to stop the aircraft with his tug. However, he 'jack knifed' and broke the tow bar and continued forward into the fuselage. Also contributing was the ground crew's lack of training, as he should have told us to brake or shut down engines.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG WAS DAMAGED IN PUSHBACK.

Narrative: WHILE BEING PUSHED BACK IN MEMPHIS, BOTH ENGS RUNNING, WE WERE INFORMED OF THE NEED TO PICK UP ADDITIONAL PAX. THE TUG USED FOR PUSHBACK WAS NOW PULLING US BACK TO THE GATE. THE DRIVER WAS ON RADIO COMS WITH THE CAPT. ABOUT 30 SECONDS INTO THE TOW A SERIES OF 'CLUNKS' COULD BE HEARD IN THE COCKPIT AREA. THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT. I PROCEEDED TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE AND VIEW 2 HOLES ABOUT 5- 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS WHILE THE ACFT WAS BEING PULLED, THE TUG -- WHICH WAS A SMALL BAGGAGE TYPE TUG, NOT THE NORMAL TUG USED FOR MANEUVERING LARGE ACFT. WITH BOTH ENGS RUNNING, THE SMALL TUG AND THE RAMP HDG BACK TO THE GATE IN A DECLINE WAS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE TUG DRIVER SAW THE ACFT BUILDING SPD AND TRIED TO STOP THE ACFT WITH HIS TUG. HOWEVER, HE 'JACK KNIFED' AND BROKE THE TOW BAR AND CONTINUED FORWARD INTO THE FUSELAGE. ALSO CONTRIBUTING WAS THE GND CREW'S LACK OF TRAINING, AS HE SHOULD HAVE TOLD US TO BRAKE OR SHUT DOWN ENGS.

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.