Narrative:

Flight phx to mci was in the pushback stage. I had just confirmed with headset operator all doors were closed and we were cleared to push back. Approximately 20 ft back we encountered a firm object. There apparently was a low truck behind us. We were using wing walkers on both wings and still nobody noticed this while behind us. This aircraft sustained extensive damage -- a 5 ft gash in the aircraft belly, was down for 4 days. No company action taken against pilots. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter is a captain for a major united states air carrier, flying a B-737-300. This occurrence was at phx airport, during a night operation. Aircraft was being pushed back with a tug driver on the microphone/headset and 2 wing walkers at each wingtip area. The aircraft's beacon lights had been placed on prior to the pushback. Reporter indicated that the lav truck driver had realized that he had failed to empty the 'blue room' and was headed back to the aircraft to perform that function. The driver had ignored the beacon lights or may not have realized that the aircraft's movement was imminent. Just prior to impact the driver 'bailed out' of the lav truck. The wing walkers failed to note the truck's presence. The captain felt that they were not in the correct position to properly assess the clear area behind the aircraft. When asked, the reporter stated that the wing walkers were in their primary roles. The air carrier had recently abandoned the 'ground crew multiple qualifications' policy that they had entertained in prior yrs as being an unsafe practice. The aircraft suffered an 82 inch gash or gap in the belly area. The flight was canceled, having had a manifest of 140 passenger. The other ground crews came over to view the aircraft and assist in the removal of the lav truck. The aircraft had to be jacked up to facilitate that removal. There were 10 other flts that suffered delays on account of this incident. Reporter discussed 2 problematic areas that were contributory to this event: low pay scales and inadequate training provided for ground crew members. The joke around the ramp when ground personnel applicants are scarce is that 'the casinos must be hiring.' there is a high turnover of employees, thus affecting the levels of training in ramp operations. Lack of direction from the top. The operations personnel that 'have the know-how' aren't listened to by the top mgrs. Outside personnel have been brought in with areas of experience not compatible with this air carrier's operational requirements. Ground supervisor attitudes were such that they wanted to drug test the flight crew as part of the investigation. Captain explained that the aircraft was not under their control at the time of the accident and that they would have to go 'off schedule' if the drug testing was done, pending the results. The final result was that only the ground crew was tested. The wing walkers and tug driver were given a week off without pay. The lav truck driver, having been employed only 1 week, was terminated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B-737-300 PUSHED BACK INTO LAV TRUCK DURING A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: FLT PHX TO MCI WAS IN THE PUSHBACK STAGE. I HAD JUST CONFIRMED WITH HEADSET OPERATOR ALL DOORS WERE CLOSED AND WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH BACK. APPROX 20 FT BACK WE ENCOUNTERED A FIRM OBJECT. THERE APPARENTLY WAS A LOW TRUCK BEHIND US. WE WERE USING WING WALKERS ON BOTH WINGS AND STILL NOBODY NOTICED THIS WHILE BEHIND US. THIS ACFT SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE -- A 5 FT GASH IN THE ACFT BELLY, WAS DOWN FOR 4 DAYS. NO COMPANY ACTION TAKEN AGAINST PLTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IS A CAPT FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR, FLYING A B-737-300. THIS OCCURRENCE WAS AT PHX ARPT, DURING A NIGHT OP. ACFT WAS BEING PUSHED BACK WITH A TUG DRIVER ON THE MICROPHONE/HEADSET AND 2 WING WALKERS AT EACH WINGTIP AREA. THE ACFT'S BEACON LIGHTS HAD BEEN PLACED ON PRIOR TO THE PUSHBACK. RPTR INDICATED THAT THE LAV TRUCK DRIVER HAD REALIZED THAT HE HAD FAILED TO EMPTY THE 'BLUE ROOM' AND WAS HEADED BACK TO THE ACFT TO PERFORM THAT FUNCTION. THE DRIVER HAD IGNORED THE BEACON LIGHTS OR MAY NOT HAVE REALIZED THAT THE ACFT'S MOVEMENT WAS IMMINENT. JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT THE DRIVER 'BAILED OUT' OF THE LAV TRUCK. THE WING WALKERS FAILED TO NOTE THE TRUCK'S PRESENCE. THE CAPT FELT THAT THEY WERE NOT IN THE CORRECT POS TO PROPERLY ASSESS THE CLR AREA BEHIND THE ACFT. WHEN ASKED, THE RPTR STATED THAT THE WING WALKERS WERE IN THEIR PRIMARY ROLES. THE ACR HAD RECENTLY ABANDONED THE 'GND CREW MULTIPLE QUALIFICATIONS' POLICY THAT THEY HAD ENTERTAINED IN PRIOR YRS AS BEING AN UNSAFE PRACTICE. THE ACFT SUFFERED AN 82 INCH GASH OR GAP IN THE BELLY AREA. THE FLT WAS CANCELED, HAVING HAD A MANIFEST OF 140 PAX. THE OTHER GND CREWS CAME OVER TO VIEW THE ACFT AND ASSIST IN THE REMOVAL OF THE LAV TRUCK. THE ACFT HAD TO BE JACKED UP TO FACILITATE THAT REMOVAL. THERE WERE 10 OTHER FLTS THAT SUFFERED DELAYS ON ACCOUNT OF THIS INCIDENT. RPTR DISCUSSED 2 PROBLEMATIC AREAS THAT WERE CONTRIBUTORY TO THIS EVENT: LOW PAY SCALES AND INADEQUATE TRAINING PROVIDED FOR GND CREW MEMBERS. THE JOKE AROUND THE RAMP WHEN GND PERSONNEL APPLICANTS ARE SCARCE IS THAT 'THE CASINOS MUST BE HIRING.' THERE IS A HIGH TURNOVER OF EMPLOYEES, THUS AFFECTING THE LEVELS OF TRAINING IN RAMP OPS. LACK OF DIRECTION FROM THE TOP. THE OPS PERSONNEL THAT 'HAVE THE KNOW-HOW' AREN'T LISTENED TO BY THE TOP MGRS. OUTSIDE PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN WITH AREAS OF EXPERIENCE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THIS ACR'S OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS. GND SUPVR ATTITUDES WERE SUCH THAT THEY WANTED TO DRUG TEST THE FLC AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION. CAPT EXPLAINED THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT UNDER THEIR CTL AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO 'OFF SCHEDULE' IF THE DRUG TESTING WAS DONE, PENDING THE RESULTS. THE FINAL RESULT WAS THAT ONLY THE GND CREW WAS TESTED. THE WING WALKERS AND TUG DRIVER WERE GIVEN A WK OFF WITHOUT PAY. THE LAV TRUCK DRIVER, HAVING BEEN EMPLOYED ONLY 1 WK, WAS TERMINATED.

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.