The tow bar failed during push out.

Attributes
ACN	315717
Time
Date	199509
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	315717
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	315789
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Push was delayed for a couple of mins while ground crew waited for tow pin. Clearance was received from ramp for clearance to push from gate a, tail west. During push, ramp notified us to hold in west position before being dragged forward while 2 aircraft pulled into surrounding gates. Captain relayed these instructions to ground crew. When ramp notified us that we could pull forward, the captain had to open window and notify crew as interphone communications were lost. We were given approval to start as the drag forward was started. I heard a loud noise and looked up from my start procedure to notice that we had stopped and that the tow bar appeared to be disconnected. The captain directed that we abort the start, so I did not turn on the #1 fuel lever. Ground crew was able to reestablish communications and notified us of damage by a broken tow bar to the nose gear doors. Ramp was notified of delay and possible damage and maintenance was requested. Personnel recorded the damage with a camera and maintenance indicated that the aircraft could not be towed. After inspecting the nose gear area and verifying proper nosewheel steering, we decided the aircraft could be taxied, taxi clearance was received to taxi to gate B. The overall push procedure appeared to be going normal and smoothly when the incident occurred. At no time were the brakes applied during the push.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE TOW BAR FAILED DURING PUSH OUT.

Narrative: PUSH WAS DELAYED FOR A COUPLE OF MINS WHILE GND CREW WAITED FOR TOW PIN. CLRNC WAS RECEIVED FROM RAMP FOR CLRNC TO PUSH FROM GATE A, TAIL W. DURING PUSH, RAMP NOTIFIED US TO HOLD IN W POS BEFORE BEING DRAGGED FORWARD WHILE 2 ACFT PULLED INTO SURROUNDING GATES. CAPT RELAYED THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO GND CREW. WHEN RAMP NOTIFIED US THAT WE COULD PULL FORWARD, THE CAPT HAD TO OPEN WINDOW AND NOTIFY CREW AS INTERPHONE COMS WERE LOST. WE WERE GIVEN APPROVAL TO START AS THE DRAG FORWARD WAS STARTED. I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND LOOKED UP FROM MY START PROC TO NOTICE THAT WE HAD STOPPED AND THAT THE TOW BAR APPEARED TO BE DISCONNECTED. THE CAPT DIRECTED THAT WE ABORT THE START, SO I DID NOT TURN ON THE #1 FUEL LEVER. GND CREW WAS ABLE TO REESTABLISH COMS AND NOTIFIED US OF DAMAGE BY A BROKEN TOW BAR TO THE NOSE GEAR DOORS. RAMP WAS NOTIFIED OF DELAY AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE AND MAINT WAS REQUESTED. PERSONNEL RECORDED THE DAMAGE WITH A CAMERA AND MAINT INDICATED THAT THE ACFT COULD NOT BE TOWED. AFTER INSPECTING THE NOSE GEAR AREA AND VERIFYING PROPER NOSEWHEEL STEERING, WE DECIDED THE ACFT COULD BE TAXIED, TAXI CLRNC WAS RECEIVED TO TAXI TO GATE B. THE OVERALL PUSH PROC APPEARED TO BE GOING NORMAL AND SMOOTHLY WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. AT NO TIME WERE THE BRAKES APPLIED DURING THE PUSH.

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.