Captain of a DC10-10 ran the tow bar into the tug after pushback resulting in damaging both of the aircraft's nosewheel tires. Distraction by conversation of the company check airman with a new so was blamed for the lack of coordination between the flight crew and ground personnel.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	400419
Time
Date	199804
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad
State Reference	DC
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	DC-10 10
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	400419
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	400542
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On apr/xa/98, flight from iad to den taxied into the tow bar of the tug. The pushback was normal SOP. The captain was new to the plane (within his first 10 lndgs). The so was on his IOE (first trip) so we had an lca checking the so out. The command was given to start all 3 engines. Engine #3 and #1 were started and we were in the process of starting the #2 engine. There was a lot of training conversation from the 2 so's from the back. My attention was focused on starting the #2 engines when the captain asked for the taxi clearance. I called for taxi clearance. The captain began to taxi a few ft when we bumped into the tow bar. We taxied into the gate and had our 2 front tires changed and continued with the flight 45 mins later. I think the contributing factors to this incident were a new captain with a so IOE in progress and starting an engine when beginning to taxi. There was a lot more conversation going on in the cockpit than normal because of the IOE. The captain had added tasks to his normal routine because of the IOE on the panel. My attention was diverted because of the starting of the #2 engine when taxi began.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A DC10-10 RAN THE TOW BAR INTO THE TUG AFTER PUSHBACK RESULTING IN DAMAGING BOTH OF THE ACFT'S NOSEWHEEL TIRES. DISTR BY CONVERSATION OF THE COMPANY CHK AIRMAN WITH A NEW SO WAS BLAMED FOR THE LACK OF COORD BTWN THE FLC AND GND PERSONNEL.

Narrative: ON APR/XA/98, FLT FROM IAD TO DEN TAXIED INTO THE TOW BAR OF THE TUG. THE PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL SOP. THE CAPT WAS NEW TO THE PLANE (WITHIN HIS FIRST 10 LNDGS). THE SO WAS ON HIS IOE (FIRST TRIP) SO WE HAD AN LCA CHKING THE SO OUT. THE COMMAND WAS GIVEN TO START ALL 3 ENGS. ENG #3 AND #1 WERE STARTED AND WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING THE #2 ENG. THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAINING CONVERSATION FROM THE 2 SO'S FROM THE BACK. MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON STARTING THE #2 ENGS WHEN THE CAPT ASKED FOR THE TAXI CLRNC. I CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC. THE CAPT BEGAN TO TAXI A FEW FT WHEN WE BUMPED INTO THE TOW BAR. WE TAXIED INTO THE GATE AND HAD OUR 2 FRONT TIRES CHANGED AND CONTINUED WITH THE FLT 45 MINS LATER. I THINK THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE A NEW CAPT WITH A SO IOE IN PROGRESS AND STARTING AN ENG WHEN BEGINNING TO TAXI. THERE WAS A LOT MORE CONVERSATION GOING ON IN THE COCKPIT THAN NORMAL BECAUSE OF THE IOE. THE CAPT HAD ADDED TASKS TO HIS NORMAL ROUTINE BECAUSE OF THE IOE ON THE PANEL. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED BECAUSE OF THE STARTING OF THE #2 ENG WHEN TAXI BEGAN.

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.