Aircraft damaged. Xbleed start while being towed.

Attributes
ACN	295113
Time
Date	199501
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
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 : 200 flight time total : 13500
ASRS Report	295113
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 13100 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	295112
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The aircraft had an inoperative MEL'ed APU. Due to ramp construction behind and to the north of the gate, I requested that operations contact the lax airport management and tell them we needed about a 10 min window with the workers clear so we could start an engine at the gate. This was done. I received a clearance to start and verified that the area was clear. We were told to start the #2 (right engine) by the ramp person on the headset. This engine was furthest from the construction area. The start was normal and we continued to push clear of the alley and then were pulled straight ahead along taxiway tango eastbound. The taxiway was dry and winds light. I received the 'cleared for start' from the tug driver, I replied 'cleared for start' and called for the xbleed start checklist. The first officer read the checklist and I replied as we set switches accordingly. I then set the right engine EPR at 1.25 as called for in the checklist and verified start pressure above 36 psi. As I was looking at the start pressure and before engaging the start switch I felt the aircraft turn right, and felt and heard a scrubbing or grinding sound. At this time the first officer stated 'towbar'. We stopped smoothly. I immediately called the tug driver and asked 'what happened.' he said his accelerator stuck open, he hit the brakes, and the towbar broke. I asked if he was ok and he said yes. A dead heading pilot ran up front and said the tug cabin attendant was smashed. I called back and verified that the guy I was talking to was indeed the same person in the cabin attendant and did he need the fire department and was he really okay. He said he was okay and only needed help removing the broken glass. I then had the first officer call lax ground. I made a PA announcement and then called the flight attendant forward. Upon instructions from lax ground personnel (airport manager) on the scene we deplaned the passenger down the airstairs and directly into a waiting bus. There were no injuries. I recommend checklist procedure change to state 'brakes set,' 'towbar disconnected' before proceeding with engine start.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED. XBLEED START WHILE BEING TOWED.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD AN INOP MEL'ED APU. DUE TO RAMP CONSTRUCTION BEHIND AND TO THE NORTH OF THE GATE, I REQUESTED THAT OPS CONTACT THE LAX ARPT MGMNT AND TELL THEM WE NEEDED ABOUT A 10 MIN WINDOW WITH THE WORKERS CLR SO WE COULD START AN ENG AT THE GATE. THIS WAS DONE. I RECEIVED A CLRNC TO START AND VERIFIED THAT THE AREA WAS CLR. WE WERE TOLD TO START THE #2 (R ENG) BY THE RAMP PERSON ON THE HEADSET. THIS ENG WAS FURTHEST FROM THE CONSTRUCTION AREA. THE START WAS NORMAL AND WE CONTINUED TO PUSH CLEAR OF THE ALLEY AND THEN WERE PULLED STRAIGHT AHEAD ALONG TXWY TANGO EBOUND. THE TXWY WAS DRY AND WINDS LIGHT. I RECEIVED THE 'CLRED FOR START' FROM THE TUG DRIVER, I REPLIED 'CLRED FOR START' AND CALLED FOR THE XBLEED START CHKLIST. THE FO READ THE CHKLIST AND I REPLIED AS WE SET SWITCHES ACCORDINGLY. I THEN SET THE R ENG EPR AT 1.25 AS CALLED FOR IN THE CHKLIST AND VERIFIED START PRESSURE ABOVE 36 PSI. AS I WAS LOOKING AT THE START PRESSURE AND BEFORE ENGAGING THE START SWITCH I FELT THE ACFT TURN RIGHT, AND FELT AND HEARD A SCRUBBING OR GRINDING SOUND. AT THIS TIME THE FO STATED 'TOWBAR'. WE STOPPED SMOOTHLY. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE TUG DRIVER AND ASKED 'WHAT HAPPENED.' HE SAID HIS ACCELERATOR STUCK OPEN, HE HIT THE BRAKES, AND THE TOWBAR BROKE. I ASKED IF HE WAS OK AND HE SAID YES. A DEAD HEADING PLT RAN UP FRONT AND SAID THE TUG CAB WAS SMASHED. I CALLED BACK AND VERIFIED THAT THE GUY I WAS TALKING TO WAS INDEED THE SAME PERSON IN THE CAB AND DID HE NEED THE FIRE DEPT AND WAS HE REALLY OKAY. HE SAID HE WAS OKAY AND ONLY NEEDED HELP REMOVING THE BROKEN GLASS. I THEN HAD THE FO CALL LAX GND. I MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT AND THEN CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT FORWARD. UPON INSTRUCTIONS FROM LAX GND PERSONNEL (ARPT MGR) ON THE SCENE WE DEPLANED THE PAX DOWN THE AIRSTAIRS AND DIRECTLY INTO A WAITING BUS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. I RECOMMEND CHKLIST PROC CHANGE TO STATE 'BRAKES SET,' 'TOWBAR DISCONNECTED' BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ENG START.

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.