Narrative:

Waiting for the load closeout. We were weight restr. The engines were running to burn fuel for possible overweight situation in order to avoid any additional delay. I continued to update our fuel weight with dispatch who, in turn, notified load. After several mins the ramp supervisor came by to check why we were still at the gate. We relayed our communication to the ramp supervisor through the guideman on the interphone. I explained our situation to her. After talking on her radio, the ramp supervisor informed me the weights were within limits and that it would be ok to push back. After the first officer called ramp, and before we started the pushback, we received an ACARS message alerting us not to push back due to our weight and requested another child count. I stopped the pushback and the flight engineer worked with the purser to obtain another child count. Then I called dispatch to check on our weight and confirm the reduction in fuel. Dispatch advised me the weights were within limits and the numbers were in ACARS. Once again, the first officer called for pushback. We were cleared to push tail between xx and xy. The guideman refused the clearance because the engines were running. We were then reclred to push to spot Z, as requested by the guideman. I relayed the new clearance to the guideman. Moments later, I heard a loud pop. The guideman asked if the brakes were released. I looked down and saw that the brakes had been reset. I don't recall when I reset the brakes, but obviously did so during the preceding sequence of events. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a B727-200 and pushback started without the normal challenge and response 'brakes off, hydraulic pressure in bypass, etc.' the reporter said a lot of confusion was present about the weight limits and the pushback was halted twice. The reporter stated the damage was to the nose gear doors actuating rods and retract mechanism. The reporter said the aircraft was removed from service for maintenance. The reporter stated the towbar shear bolt did not shear nor did the nose gear tow lug bolt shear which would have limited the damage. Callback conversation with reporter from acn 398189 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was removed from service but did not have any information on the extent of the nose gear damage. The reporter said the pushback operation, with all the stops and starts, was confusing and irregular.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 INCURRED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE LNDG GEAR DOORS ACTUATING RODS AND RETRACT MECHANISM WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PUSH BACK WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SET.

Narrative: WAITING FOR THE LOAD CLOSEOUT. WE WERE WT RESTR. THE ENGS WERE RUNNING TO BURN FUEL FOR POSSIBLE OVERWT SIT IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY ADDITIONAL DELAY. I CONTINUED TO UPDATE OUR FUEL WT WITH DISPATCH WHO, IN TURN, NOTIFIED LOAD. AFTER SEVERAL MINS THE RAMP SUPVR CAME BY TO CHK WHY WE WERE STILL AT THE GATE. WE RELAYED OUR COM TO THE RAMP SUPVR THROUGH THE GUIDEMAN ON THE INTERPHONE. I EXPLAINED OUR SIT TO HER. AFTER TALKING ON HER RADIO, THE RAMP SUPVR INFORMED ME THE WTS WERE WITHIN LIMITS AND THAT IT WOULD BE OK TO PUSH BACK. AFTER THE FO CALLED RAMP, AND BEFORE WE STARTED THE PUSHBACK, WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE ALERTING US NOT TO PUSH BACK DUE TO OUR WT AND REQUESTED ANOTHER CHILD COUNT. I STOPPED THE PUSHBACK AND THE FE WORKED WITH THE PURSER TO OBTAIN ANOTHER CHILD COUNT. THEN I CALLED DISPATCH TO CHK ON OUR WT AND CONFIRM THE REDUCTION IN FUEL. DISPATCH ADVISED ME THE WTS WERE WITHIN LIMITS AND THE NUMBERS WERE IN ACARS. ONCE AGAIN, THE FO CALLED FOR PUSHBACK. WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH TAIL BTWN XX AND XY. THE GUIDEMAN REFUSED THE CLRNC BECAUSE THE ENGS WERE RUNNING. WE WERE THEN RECLRED TO PUSH TO SPOT Z, AS REQUESTED BY THE GUIDEMAN. I RELAYED THE NEW CLRNC TO THE GUIDEMAN. MOMENTS LATER, I HEARD A LOUD POP. THE GUIDEMAN ASKED IF THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT THE BRAKES HAD BEEN RESET. I DON'T RECALL WHEN I RESET THE BRAKES, BUT OBVIOUSLY DID SO DURING THE PRECEDING SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A B727-200 AND PUSHBACK STARTED WITHOUT THE NORMAL CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE 'BRAKES OFF, HYD PRESSURE IN BYPASS, ETC.' THE RPTR SAID A LOT OF CONFUSION WAS PRESENT ABOUT THE WT LIMITS AND THE PUSHBACK WAS HALTED TWICE. THE RPTR STATED THE DAMAGE WAS TO THE NOSE GEAR DOORS ACTUATING RODS AND RETRACT MECHANISM. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC FOR MAINT. THE RPTR STATED THE TOWBAR SHEAR BOLT DID NOT SHEAR NOR DID THE NOSE GEAR TOW LUG BOLT SHEAR WHICH WOULD HAVE LIMITED THE DAMAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR FROM ACN 398189 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC BUT DID NOT HAVE ANY INFO ON THE EXTENT OF THE NOSE GEAR DAMAGE. THE RPTR SAID THE PUSHBACK OP, WITH ALL THE STOPS AND STARTS, WAS CONFUSING AND IRREGULAR.

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.