Narrative:

Prior to push back of a B737 from sjc to ramp the cockpit and ground crew (1 man) communicated and the response and challenge was completed. Ground crew did a visual clearing of aircraft and cockpit advised ground control of push. Approximately 30 seconds into the push back the aircraft made contact with a food service truck with the left wing. The truck was tipped on its side and aircraft left trailing edge of wing damaged. Fire department alerted and a normal deplaning took place. The problem appears to be two-fold. Being that manpower cut backs did not allow for wing walker nor did the driver of the truck appear to have knowledge of the aircraft movement, the truck apparently drove into position waiting for another aircraft between the time of the visual clearing and the push. Also the truck parked in an aircraft movement zone. The outcome as to how this took place may also be noted as on time, on time versus safety, safety. We must insure that as time is compressed, we decrease our awareness and without backup (2 man) wing walker, etc. Another area of concern is the ground crew did not keep the cockpit in the loop as to the extent of the contact. Should a fuel spill or fire have resulted, have the first indication would have been from the cabin crew and that might be too late. Also fire department should have direct communication to cockpit as to advise the (best) side to evacuate/evacuation should it become necessary.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WING STRUCK SVC TRUCK DURING PUSH BACK FROM GATE.

Narrative: PRIOR TO PUSH BACK OF A B737 FROM SJC TO RAMP THE COCKPIT AND GND CREW (1 MAN) COMMUNICATED AND THE RESPONSE AND CHALLENGE WAS COMPLETED. GND CREW DID A VISUAL CLRING OF ACFT AND COCKPIT ADVISED GND CTL OF PUSH. APPROX 30 SECONDS INTO THE PUSH BACK THE ACFT MADE CONTACT WITH A FOOD SVC TRUCK WITH THE L WING. THE TRUCK WAS TIPPED ON ITS SIDE AND ACFT L TRAILING EDGE OF WING DAMAGED. FIRE DEPT ALERTED AND A NORMAL DEPLANING TOOK PLACE. THE PROB APPEARS TO BE TWO-FOLD. BEING THAT MANPOWER CUT BACKS DID NOT ALLOW FOR WING WALKER NOR DID THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK APPEAR TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ACFT MOVEMENT, THE TRUCK APPARENTLY DROVE INTO POS WAITING FOR ANOTHER ACFT BTWN THE TIME OF THE VISUAL CLRING AND THE PUSH. ALSO THE TRUCK PARKED IN AN ACFT MOVEMENT ZONE. THE OUTCOME AS TO HOW THIS TOOK PLACE MAY ALSO BE NOTED AS ON TIME, ON TIME VERSUS SAFETY, SAFETY. WE MUST INSURE THAT AS TIME IS COMPRESSED, WE DECREASE OUR AWARENESS AND WITHOUT BACKUP (2 MAN) WING WALKER, ETC. ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN IS THE GND CREW DID NOT KEEP THE COCKPIT IN THE LOOP AS TO THE EXTENT OF THE CONTACT. SHOULD A FUEL SPILL OR FIRE HAVE RESULTED, HAVE THE FIRST INDICATION WOULD HAVE BEEN FROM THE CABIN CREW AND THAT MIGHT BE TOO LATE. ALSO FIRE DEPT SHOULD HAVE DIRECT COM TO COCKPIT AS TO ADVISE THE (BEST) SIDE TO EVAC SHOULD IT BECOME NECESSARY.

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.