Narrative:

Pushback from gate ground crew pushing the aircraft with parking brakes set. This was done without proper communications and coordination with the cockpit crew and or communication between ground crewmembers. The result was both left main wheel separation from strut and landing gear damage. No other collateral damage or injury. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: contract ground crew became confused and lacked coordination with the cockpit. Their headset cord was too short for the tug driver's use, so a wingwalker, on the captain's side, had the headset and microphone for communication to cockpit. As ground crew pushed back, they got the nosewheel and tow bar canted about 80 degrees to the right of the nose. They stopped as another aircraft taxied behind their aircraft. The ground communication told the captain they were stopped, but would have to straighten the tow bar. Captain responded that was ok and the brakes were set. Then, they started pushing again, pivoting the aircraft on the left gear assembly. Skid marks showed 9-10 ft push with brakes set. The captain immediately called for them to stop the push, but the ground coordinator said, 'we are trying to straighten the nosewheel.' captain tried to release the brakes, but unsuccessfully. Eventually, the ground crew saw the damage as both the hubs and axles broke off the left main gear assembly. Both ground crew coordinator and supervisor were fired. The air carrier had extensive follow-up because of concerns that the failure may have been caused by metal fatigue. In coordination with douglas and their technical operations center, they magnafluxed the gear assemblies on their fleet of MD88's. Reporter had extensive post incident debriefs with ground crew, safety representatives and the chief pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT PUSHED WITH PARKING BRAKES ON. WHEEL DAMAGE.

Narrative: PUSHBACK FROM GATE GND CREW PUSHING THE ACFT WITH PARKING BRAKES SET. THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT PROPER COMS AND COORD WITH THE COCKPIT CREW AND OR COM BTWN GND CREWMEMBERS. THE RESULT WAS BOTH L MAIN WHEEL SEPARATION FROM STRUT AND LNDG GEAR DAMAGE. NO OTHER COLLATERAL DAMAGE OR INJURY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CONTRACT GND CREW BECAME CONFUSED AND LACKED COORD WITH THE COCKPIT. THEIR HEADSET CORD WAS TOO SHORT FOR THE TUG DRIVER'S USE, SO A WINGWALKER, ON THE CAPT'S SIDE, HAD THE HEADSET AND MIKE FOR COM TO COCKPIT. AS GND CREW PUSHED BACK, THEY GOT THE NOSEWHEEL AND TOW BAR CANTED ABOUT 80 DEGS TO THE R OF THE NOSE. THEY STOPPED AS ANOTHER ACFT TAXIED BEHIND THEIR ACFT. THE GND COM TOLD THE CAPT THEY WERE STOPPED, BUT WOULD HAVE TO STRAIGHTEN THE TOW BAR. CAPT RESPONDED THAT WAS OK AND THE BRAKES WERE SET. THEN, THEY STARTED PUSHING AGAIN, PIVOTING THE ACFT ON THE L GEAR ASSEMBLY. SKID MARKS SHOWED 9-10 FT PUSH WITH BRAKES SET. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR THEM TO STOP THE PUSH, BUT THE GND COORDINATOR SAID, 'WE ARE TRYING TO STRAIGHTEN THE NOSEWHEEL.' CAPT TRIED TO RELEASE THE BRAKES, BUT UNSUCCESSFULLY. EVENTUALLY, THE GND CREW SAW THE DAMAGE AS BOTH THE HUBS AND AXLES BROKE OFF THE L MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY. BOTH GND CREW COORDINATOR AND SUPVR WERE FIRED. THE ACR HAD EXTENSIVE FOLLOW-UP BECAUSE OF CONCERNS THAT THE FAILURE MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY METAL FATIGUE. IN COORD WITH DOUGLAS AND THEIR TECHNICAL OPS CTR, THEY MAGNAFLUXED THE GEAR ASSEMBLIES ON THEIR FLEET OF MD88'S. RPTR HAD EXTENSIVE POST INCIDENT DEBRIEFS WITH GND CREW, SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES AND THE CHIEF PLT.

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.