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Flight crew of medium large transport attempting pushback from gate is interrupted due to no tug driver after clearance to push. When vehicle driver arrived the pushback callouts were not re- originated. Driver began pushing and towbar which had been modified broke and damaged the nose gear door.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 385399 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199711 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : stl |
| State Reference | MO |
| 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 | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 385399 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2800 |
| ASRS Report | 385380 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
In pushback from gate, procedures were interrupted by lack of ground/ramp personnel after clearance to push. Upon arrival, tug began push without re-originating pushback callouts. Tow back had been modified, precluding the 2-PIN shear, to protect both plane and personnel. With brakes set and no movement evident, tug driver continued the push with added power and towbar snapped upward (not to the side as designed) and damaged the nose gear doors. Flight was canceled. 1) interrupted procedures. 2) modified towbar. Supplemental information from acn 385380: the mechanic advised us we did not have a tug driver. As I was about to cancel our pushback request the tug driver arrived and attempted to push back. Towbar had an unauthorized modification which caused it to release up and damage the aircraft rather than the side as designed. Excessive tug power was applied when it became apparent that the aircraft was not moving. Corrective action: advise mechanic if brakes are reparked. Use only standard towbars. Review 'critical items' immediately prior to clearing ground crew to push back.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF MLG ATTEMPTING PUSHBACK FROM GATE IS INTERRUPTED DUE TO NO TUG DRIVER AFTER CLRNC TO PUSH. WHEN VEHICLE DRIVER ARRIVED THE PUSHBACK CALLOUTS WERE NOT RE- ORIGINATED. DRIVER BEGAN PUSHING AND TOWBAR WHICH HAD BEEN MODIFIED BROKE AND DAMAGED THE NOSE GEAR DOOR.
Narrative: IN PUSHBACK FROM GATE, PROCS WERE INTERRUPTED BY LACK OF GND/RAMP PERSONNEL AFTER CLRNC TO PUSH. UPON ARR, TUG BEGAN PUSH WITHOUT RE-ORIGINATING PUSHBACK CALLOUTS. TOW BACK HAD BEEN MODIFIED, PRECLUDING THE 2-PIN SHEAR, TO PROTECT BOTH PLANE AND PERSONNEL. WITH BRAKES SET AND NO MOVEMENT EVIDENT, TUG DRIVER CONTINUED THE PUSH WITH ADDED PWR AND TOWBAR SNAPPED UPWARD (NOT TO THE SIDE AS DESIGNED) AND DAMAGED THE NOSE GEAR DOORS. FLT WAS CANCELED. 1) INTERRUPTED PROCS. 2) MODIFIED TOWBAR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 385380: THE MECH ADVISED US WE DID NOT HAVE A TUG DRIVER. AS I WAS ABOUT TO CANCEL OUR PUSHBACK REQUEST THE TUG DRIVER ARRIVED AND ATTEMPTED TO PUSH BACK. TOWBAR HAD AN UNAUTH MODIFICATION WHICH CAUSED IT TO RELEASE UP AND DAMAGE THE ACFT RATHER THAN THE SIDE AS DESIGNED. EXCESSIVE TUG PWR WAS APPLIED WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT MOVING. CORRECTIVE ACTION: ADVISE MECH IF BRAKES ARE REPARKED. USE ONLY STANDARD TOWBARS. REVIEW 'CRITICAL ITEMS' IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO CLEARING GND CREW TO PUSH BACK.
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.