Narrative:

During pushback from gate at the lga flight center, the tug driver began to turn the aircraft before it was clear of the passenger loading bridge. The aircraft contacted the loading bridge causing a 4-5 ft cut in the skin below and behind the captain's window. The 2L door was used during boarding and the passenger loading bridge had been backed away from the aircraft as far as it would go. At the time the passenger loading bridge became visible to me, I simultaneously heard the aircraft contact the bridge. The captain immediately told the tug diver to stop. Contributing factors were the early time of day, darkness, and rain. There was considerable congestion on the ramp and a hard turn of the nose to the captain's left was required to move the aircraft to the cleared location (taxiway M). By the time the cockpit crew saw the passenger loading bridge, it was too late. If operations continues to push the aircraft from this gate to taxiway M with the tail to the northwest, a spotter under the passenger loading bridge is a must. Later the same day, the same cockpit crew departed this same gate in the same type of aircraft. This time, however, our clearance was to push into the alley with the tail pointed southwest. This required movement of the aircraft's nose to the captain's right moving the aircraft away from the passenger loading bridge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CREW, DURING ACFT PUSHBACK AT LGA, EXPERIENCED ACFT DAMAGE WHEN THE TUG DRIVER TURNED THE ACFT PREMATURELY, MAKING CONTACT WITH THE 'JETWAY.'

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK FROM GATE AT THE LGA FLT CTR, THE TUG DRIVER BEGAN TO TURN THE ACFT BEFORE IT WAS CLR OF THE PAX LOADING BRIDGE. THE ACFT CONTACTED THE LOADING BRIDGE CAUSING A 4-5 FT CUT IN THE SKIN BELOW AND BEHIND THE CAPT'S WINDOW. THE 2L DOOR WAS USED DURING BOARDING AND THE PAX LOADING BRIDGE HAD BEEN BACKED AWAY FROM THE ACFT AS FAR AS IT WOULD GO. AT THE TIME THE PAX LOADING BRIDGE BECAME VISIBLE TO ME, I SIMULTANEOUSLY HEARD THE ACFT CONTACT THE BRIDGE. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE TUG DIVER TO STOP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE EARLY TIME OF DAY, DARKNESS, AND RAIN. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE CONGESTION ON THE RAMP AND A HARD TURN OF THE NOSE TO THE CAPT'S L WAS REQUIRED TO MOVE THE ACFT TO THE CLRED LOCATION (TXWY M). BY THE TIME THE COCKPIT CREW SAW THE PAX LOADING BRIDGE, IT WAS TOO LATE. IF OPS CONTINUES TO PUSH THE ACFT FROM THIS GATE TO TXWY M WITH THE TAIL TO THE NW, A SPOTTER UNDER THE PAX LOADING BRIDGE IS A MUST. LATER THE SAME DAY, THE SAME COCKPIT CREW DEPARTED THIS SAME GATE IN THE SAME TYPE OF ACFT. THIS TIME, HOWEVER, OUR CLRNC WAS TO PUSH INTO THE ALLEY WITH THE TAIL POINTED SW. THIS REQUIRED MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT'S NOSE TO THE CAPT'S R MOVING THE ACFT AWAY FROM THE PAX LOADING BRIDGE.

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.