Aircraft commenced taxi without marshaller guidance and hit tug with right main gear.

Attributes
ACN	321853
Time
Date	199511
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dal
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-8 62
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	321853
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were picking up an aircraft from a contract maintenance facility. We accomplished all preflight activities and checklists. We then performed a 4-ENG start and completed the after start checklist. The mechanic was cleared off the headset and I obtained taxi clearance from ground control. We saw the aircraft and several people depart the area of the aircraft. The ramp area was again cleared by the captain and myself. As we began our taxi roll, within a short distance we felt a shudder and came to a stop. Communication was reestablished with the mechanic and the aircraft was shut down. The tug that was to move the electrical power cart had stalled and the right main gear tires had impacted the tug and power cart. I believe there were several factors that contributed to this incident: 1) the power cart was positioned so close to the aircraft fuselage it was not visible from the cockpit. 2) there were no marshallers present. This did not surprise us since the aircraft was positioned in very close proximity to the active taxiway (approximately 100 ft from the nose of the aircraft). 3) communication being terminated prior to all equipment, (ie, stalled tug/power cart) being removed from the vicinity of the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT COMMENCED TAXI WITHOUT MARSHALLER GUIDANCE AND HIT TUG WITH R MAIN GEAR.

Narrative: WE WERE PICKING UP AN ACFT FROM A CONTRACT MAINT FACILITY. WE ACCOMPLISHED ALL PREFLT ACTIVITIES AND CHKLISTS. WE THEN PERFORMED A 4-ENG START AND COMPLETED THE AFTER START CHKLIST. THE MECH WAS CLRED OFF THE HEADSET AND I OBTAINED TAXI CLRNC FROM GND CTL. WE SAW THE ACFT AND SEVERAL PEOPLE DEPART THE AREA OF THE ACFT. THE RAMP AREA WAS AGAIN CLRED BY THE CAPT AND MYSELF. AS WE BEGAN OUR TAXI ROLL, WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE WE FELT A SHUDDER AND CAME TO A STOP. COM WAS REESTABLISHED WITH THE MECH AND THE ACFT WAS SHUT DOWN. THE TUG THAT WAS TO MOVE THE ELECTRICAL PWR CART HAD STALLED AND THE R MAIN GEAR TIRES HAD IMPACTED THE TUG AND PWR CART. I BELIEVE THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT: 1) THE PWR CART WAS POSITIONED SO CLOSE TO THE ACFT FUSELAGE IT WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT. 2) THERE WERE NO MARSHALLERS PRESENT. THIS DID NOT SURPRISE US SINCE THE ACFT WAS POSITIONED IN VERY CLOSE PROX TO THE ACTIVE TXWY (APPROX 100 FT FROM THE NOSE OF THE ACFT). 3) COM BEING TERMINATED PRIOR TO ALL EQUIP, (IE, STALLED TUG/PWR CART) BEING REMOVED FROM THE VICINITY OF THE ACFT.

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.