Narrative:

During last phase of pushback from gsp gate, the tug slid and rotated counterclockwise (from flight deck perspective). The tug slid completely under aircraft (out of view from flight deck) and impacted the fuselage. Driver later reported that he had jumped off the tug as the sliding started and could not maintain communication with us. Supplemental information from acn 535470: on jan/xa/02 it was snowing at a steady rate. Approximately 2 inches were on the ground. The airplane that pushed prior to us and the tug jackknifed into the airplane causing a large hole in the fuselage. It was stuck behind us indefinitely preventing our pushback. Meanwhile the ground crew came up the stairs and asked us if we could power out. The captain and I looked in the flight manual to determine the turn radius and to see whether or not we had the clearance to power out. The captain thought that we did, however, we wanted an extra 10 ft to ensure enough clearance due to deteriorating ramp conditions and possibility of sliding. He elected to use reversers to roll approximately 10 ft backward to ensure enough clearance. We had wing walkers positioned safely on either side. He used reverse for approximately 10 seconds and then we pwred out of the gate without any subsequent problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-200. ON PUSHBACK, THE TUG JACKKNIFED AND COLLIDED WITH THE ACFT NOSE. THE RAMP WAS EXTREMELY SLIPPERY.

Narrative: DURING LAST PHASE OF PUSHBACK FROM GSP GATE, THE TUG SLID AND ROTATED COUNTERCLOCKWISE (FROM FLT DECK PERSPECTIVE). THE TUG SLID COMPLETELY UNDER ACFT (OUT OF VIEW FROM FLT DECK) AND IMPACTED THE FUSELAGE. DRIVER LATER RPTED THAT HE HAD JUMPED OFF THE TUG AS THE SLIDING STARTED AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN COM WITH US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 535470: ON JAN/XA/02 IT WAS SNOWING AT A STEADY RATE. APPROX 2 INCHES WERE ON THE GND. THE AIRPLANE THAT PUSHED PRIOR TO US AND THE TUG JACKKNIFED INTO THE AIRPLANE CAUSING A LARGE HOLE IN THE FUSELAGE. IT WAS STUCK BEHIND US INDEFINITELY PREVENTING OUR PUSHBACK. MEANWHILE THE GND CREW CAME UP THE STAIRS AND ASKED US IF WE COULD PWR OUT. THE CAPT AND I LOOKED IN THE FLT MANUAL TO DETERMINE THE TURN RADIUS AND TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD THE CLRNC TO PWR OUT. THE CAPT THOUGHT THAT WE DID, HOWEVER, WE WANTED AN EXTRA 10 FT TO ENSURE ENOUGH CLRNC DUE TO DETERIORATING RAMP CONDITIONS AND POSSIBILITY OF SLIDING. HE ELECTED TO USE REVERSERS TO ROLL APPROX 10 FT BACKWARD TO ENSURE ENOUGH CLRNC. WE HAD WING WALKERS POSITIONED SAFELY ON EITHER SIDE. HE USED REVERSE FOR APPROX 10 SECONDS AND THEN WE PWRED OUT OF THE GATE WITHOUT ANY SUBSEQUENT PROBS.

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.