As a B737-300 taxies for takeoff at las, nv, it strikes a ground tug and receives damage to the left...

Attributes
ACN	390821
Time
Date	199801
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 17500 flight time type : 3100
ASRS Report	390821
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 2050 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	390820
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Clearance from las ground control was obtained, and our airplane was pushed back from gate xx. The pushback took the airplane much further than normal from the gate into an unlighted area of the taxiway. The ground pushback director requested brakes set, and the captain set the brakes. After a normal disconnect, the captain observed a standard salute and release from guidance from the pushback director, and announced 'salute, released from guidance.' the first officer received taxi clearance to runway 19R. The captain visually cleared the very dark area over his left shoulder, and the first officer visually cleared the area to the right of the airplane. The captain then started a slow taxi straight ahead for a couple of feet and then turned right to avoid the air carrier Y B737 that had stopped and waited for our flight to clear the taxi area in front of him. The airplane moved approximately 12-15 ft and the first officer observed a taxi director holding his taxi wands in the crossed 'stop' position. The first officer said 'stop.' as the captain quickly stopped the airplane, he felt and heard something strike the forward left fuselage area. The captain set the parking brakes, opened the cockpit exit window to his left, leaned his head and shoulder out the window, and noticed a tug resting against the left fuselage area. No personnel were injured, the airplane sustained damage to the left nose landing gear door, and the left forward nose fuselage area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AS A B737-300 TAXIES FOR TKOF AT LAS, NV, IT STRIKES A GND TUG AND RECEIVES DAMAGE TO THE L NOSE LNDG GEAR DOOR AND L FORWARD NOSE FUSELAGE AREA.

Narrative: CLRNC FROM LAS GND CTL WAS OBTAINED, AND OUR AIRPLANE WAS PUSHED BACK FROM GATE XX. THE PUSHBACK TOOK THE AIRPLANE MUCH FURTHER THAN NORMAL FROM THE GATE INTO AN UNLIGHTED AREA OF THE TXWY. THE GND PUSHBACK DIRECTOR REQUESTED BRAKES SET, AND THE CAPT SET THE BRAKES. AFTER A NORMAL DISCONNECT, THE CAPT OBSERVED A STANDARD SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE FROM THE PUSHBACK DIRECTOR, AND ANNOUNCED 'SALUTE, RELEASED FROM GUIDANCE.' THE FO RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 19R. THE CAPT VISUALLY CLRED THE VERY DARK AREA OVER HIS L SHOULDER, AND THE FO VISUALLY CLRED THE AREA TO THE R OF THE AIRPLANE. THE CAPT THEN STARTED A SLOW TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR A COUPLE OF FEET AND THEN TURNED R TO AVOID THE ACR Y B737 THAT HAD STOPPED AND WAITED FOR OUR FLT TO CLR THE TAXI AREA IN FRONT OF HIM. THE AIRPLANE MOVED APPROX 12-15 FT AND THE FO OBSERVED A TAXI DIRECTOR HOLDING HIS TAXI WANDS IN THE CROSSED 'STOP' POS. THE FO SAID 'STOP.' AS THE CAPT QUICKLY STOPPED THE AIRPLANE, HE FELT AND HEARD SOMETHING STRIKE THE FORWARD L FUSELAGE AREA. THE CAPT SET THE PARKING BRAKES, OPENED THE COCKPIT EXIT WINDOW TO HIS L, LEANED HIS HEAD AND SHOULDER OUT THE WINDOW, AND NOTICED A TUG RESTING AGAINST THE L FUSELAGE AREA. NO PERSONNEL WERE INJURED, THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE L NOSE LNDG GEAR DOOR, AND THE L FORWARD NOSE FUSELAGE AREA.

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.

As a B737-300 taxies for takeoff at las, nv, it strikes a ground tug and receives damage to the left nose landing gear door and left forward nose fuselage area.