A canadair regional jet struck the pushback tug prior to taxi while using hand signals.

Attributes
ACN	447506
Time
Date	199908
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000
ASRS Report	447506
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : vehicle
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After aircraft pushback, ground agent gave sign to set parking brake. Break was set and signal was returned to ground agent. I looked away from agent at taxi/departure plates on left sideboard for a moment. When I looked back at agent, he was giving sign to reset parking brake. I pressed the foot brakes to stop the aircraft from rolling forward and verified brake was set. Aircraft had been disconnected from tug and airplane rolled over the tug by a few ft., contact was made with the left nose door and the top of the tug. I think the parking brake did not hold the brakes. To prevent the recurrence, I think constant vigilance and visual contact must be made with the pushback crew. I believe that a pushback headset should be made available to the pushback crew to communicate directly with flight deck crew. The airplane is equipped with pushback communications.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR REGIONAL JET STRUCK THE PUSHBACK TUG PRIOR TO TAXI WHILE USING HAND SIGNALS.

Narrative: AFTER ACFT PUSHBACK, GND AGENT GAVE SIGN TO SET PARKING BRAKE. BREAK WAS SET AND SIGNAL WAS RETURNED TO GND AGENT. I LOOKED AWAY FROM AGENT AT TAXI/DEP PLATES ON L SIDEBOARD FOR A MOMENT. WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT AGENT, HE WAS GIVING SIGN TO RESET PARKING BRAKE. I PRESSED THE FOOT BRAKES TO STOP THE ACFT FROM ROLLING FORWARD AND VERIFIED BRAKE WAS SET. ACFT HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM TUG AND AIRPLANE ROLLED OVER THE TUG BY A FEW FT., CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE L NOSE DOOR AND THE TOP OF THE TUG. I THINK THE PARKING BRAKE DID NOT HOLD THE BRAKES. TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE, I THINK CONSTANT VIGILANCE AND VISUAL CONTACT MUST BE MADE WITH THE PUSHBACK CREW. I BELIEVE THAT A PUSHBACK HEADSET SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUSHBACK CREW TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH FLT DECK CREW. THE AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH PUSHBACK COMS.

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.