An air carrier medium large transport captain reports that his aircraft crept forward and struck a t...

Attributes
ACN	361786
Time
Date	199702
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	361786
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

We received a clearance for pushback from sfo ground control. The tug operator/pushback crew had inoperative headsets, so we used hand signals. The pushback appeared normal as our aircraft came to a stop on taxiway a. I was looking at the ramper for a hand signal to 'set parking brakes.' I briefly glanced inside at the cockpit engine gauges as I heard my first officer click on the fuel lever(south) for engine start. A moment later, I glanced back out at the ramper and he was rapidly giving me the 'set brakes' signal. I promptly set the brakes. I then noticed the ramper was pointing to the nose of the aircraft. I opened my window and thought I heard him say 'damage, back to gate,' so we received clearance to get a tug back to the gate. I saw a large hole in the nose of aircraft -- it had crept forward very slowly and impacted the tug cabin attendant. The main reason for this mishap was the pushback crew disconnected the tug from the aircraft before commanding me to set my parking brake. They should have stopped the tug/aircraft, commanded me to park my brakes and then disconnected the tug.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CAPT RPTS THAT HIS ACFT CREPT FORWARD AND STRUCK A TUG AFTER PUSHBACK. THE GND PERSON HAD TO USE HAND SIGNALS AS THERE WAS NO HEADSET.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FOR PUSHBACK FROM SFO GND CTL. THE TUG OPERATOR/PUSHBACK CREW HAD INOP HEADSETS, SO WE USED HAND SIGNALS. THE PUSHBACK APPEARED NORMAL AS OUR ACFT CAME TO A STOP ON TXWY A. I WAS LOOKING AT THE RAMPER FOR A HAND SIGNAL TO 'SET PARKING BRAKES.' I BRIEFLY GLANCED INSIDE AT THE COCKPIT ENG GAUGES AS I HEARD MY FO CLICK ON THE FUEL LEVER(S) FOR ENG START. A MOMENT LATER, I GLANCED BACK OUT AT THE RAMPER AND HE WAS RAPIDLY GIVING ME THE 'SET BRAKES' SIGNAL. I PROMPTLY SET THE BRAKES. I THEN NOTICED THE RAMPER WAS POINTING TO THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. I OPENED MY WINDOW AND THOUGHT I HEARD HIM SAY 'DAMAGE, BACK TO GATE,' SO WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO GET A TUG BACK TO THE GATE. I SAW A LARGE HOLE IN THE NOSE OF ACFT -- IT HAD CREPT FORWARD VERY SLOWLY AND IMPACTED THE TUG CAB. THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS MISHAP WAS THE PUSHBACK CREW DISCONNECTED THE TUG FROM THE ACFT BEFORE COMMANDING ME TO SET MY PARKING BRAKE. THEY SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THE TUG/ACFT, COMMANDED ME TO PARK MY BRAKES AND THEN DISCONNECTED THE TUG.

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.

An air carrier medium large transport captain reports that his aircraft crept forward and struck a tug after pushback. The ground person had to use hand signals as there was no headset.