Narrative:

After push back from gate in sfo, push crew disconnected tug, I (captain) notified ground man to 'verify all doors and access panels closed, show me the gear pin, cleared to disconnect and standing by for hand signals.' the ground crew man replied 'the pin is on the towbar' and disconnected. I watched the tug drive away and noted the gear pin on the towbar. The crew completed the pre-taxi checklist. I lost track of the tug and asked the first officer to verify 'clear right.' I cleared the left side and advanced the throttles for taxi. A ground man ran in front of the aircraft and I immediately applied the brakes. Apparently the push crew while driving away noticed an access panel for the forward cargo compartment in the open position. Without establishing 2-WAY communication or hand signals they drove the tug around to secure the panel. When we stopped abruptly the aircraft bounced and the lower ATC antenna struck the top of the tug, severing the antenna. This miscom occurred due to the difference in ground handling procedures between our airline and our contract representatives in sfo. Ideally the aircraft should never be approached for any reason if standard hand signals and/or 2-WAY communication are not used. Also it is imperative that standard phraseology, hand signals, and pre-taxi guidance be employed if acrs handle more than one airline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND STRIKE AFTER PUSH BACK FROM GATE. ACFT STRIKES TUG.

Narrative: AFTER PUSH BACK FROM GATE IN SFO, PUSH CREW DISCONNECTED TUG, I (CAPT) NOTIFIED GND MAN TO 'VERIFY ALL DOORS AND ACCESS PANELS CLOSED, SHOW ME THE GEAR PIN, CLRED TO DISCONNECT AND STANDING BY FOR HAND SIGNALS.' THE GND CREW MAN REPLIED 'THE PIN IS ON THE TOWBAR' AND DISCONNECTED. I WATCHED THE TUG DRIVE AWAY AND NOTED THE GEAR PIN ON THE TOWBAR. THE CREW COMPLETED THE PRE-TAXI CHKLIST. I LOST TRACK OF THE TUG AND ASKED THE FO TO VERIFY 'CLR R.' I CLRED THE L SIDE AND ADVANCED THE THROTTLES FOR TAXI. A GROUND MAN RAN IN FRONT OF THE ACFT AND I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES. APPARENTLY THE PUSH CREW WHILE DRIVING AWAY NOTICED AN ACCESS PANEL FOR THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT IN THE OPEN POS. WITHOUT ESTABLISHING 2-WAY COM OR HAND SIGNALS THEY DROVE THE TUG AROUND TO SECURE THE PANEL. WHEN WE STOPPED ABRUPTLY THE ACFT BOUNCED AND THE LOWER ATC ANTENNA STRUCK THE TOP OF THE TUG, SEVERING THE ANTENNA. THIS MISCOM OCCURRED DUE TO THE DIFFERENCE IN GND HANDLING PROCS BTWN OUR AIRLINE AND OUR CONTRACT REPRESENTATIVES IN SFO. IDEALLY THE ACFT SHOULD NEVER BE APCHED FOR ANY REASON IF STANDARD HAND SIGNALS AND/OR 2-WAY COM ARE NOT USED. ALSO IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY, HAND SIGNALS, AND PRE-TAXI GUIDANCE BE EMPLOYED IF ACRS HANDLE MORE THAN ONE AIRLINE.

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.