Narrative:

Approaching isp, ATIS/PIREPS/NOTAMS indicated the field was covered by thin snow with braking action good. Upon landing, we found the runway, txwys, and ramp to be snow-covered with braking action good. Approximately 30 mins after arriving at the gate, field condition information remained unchanged as the main cabin door was closed in preparation for pushback. The aircraft was deiced at the gate. We called ground for clearance to push, and pushback was approved. Headset communication was in use between the cockpit and tug driver as the driver began to push. During pushback, the tug driver cleared us to start both engines. With both engines started and at idle thrust, the tug driver momentarily stopped the aircraft but gave no order/signal to set brakes. The aircraft then began to move forward with the tow bar and tug still attached giving the appearance that the tug was pulling the aircraft around to the left toward the taxiway. As the tug swung past 90 degrees to the left of the aircraft's nose, the captain asked the tug driver if all was well. The tug driver replied that all was not well. The captain immediately asked the tug driver if he wanted us to apply brakes. The tug driver said 'yes.' the captain applied brakes but the tug almost simultaneously impacted the lower left portion of the fuselage causing a small punctured hole in the aircraft skin. The tug driver notified us over headset that he was not injured. Both engines were shut down. Crash fire rescue equipment arrived within about 1 min and disconnected the tug/tow bar. The camp area outside the main passenger door was sanded. Then the passenger were deplaned and taken by van back to the gate. A mechanic inspected the nose gear assembly and the damaged fuselage. Then the aircraft was towed to the ramp. The tug driver boarded our aircraft after the passenger had deplaned. He apologized for the incident and explained that he momentarily stopped the aircraft and put his tug in reverse in order to back up and then move forward again. However, he said that when he put the tug in reverse, our aircraft began pushing him backwards and he began swinging to our left. Had the tug driver said anything to indicate a problem as soon as he sensed a problem developing, we could have applied brakes, reverse thrust, or shut down the engines much sooner. We also learned later that a larger tug had been available but was not used.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 PUSHBACK TUG IS STRUCK BY ACFT WHEN IT IS SLID ON ICY RAMP DURING PUSHBACK. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT FUSELAGE AND NOSE GEAR CAUSED ACFT TO BE TAKEN OTS. PAX WERE DEPLANED ON RAMP.

Narrative: APCHING ISP, ATIS/PIREPS/NOTAMS INDICATED THE FIELD WAS COVERED BY THIN SNOW WITH BRAKING ACTION GOOD. UPON LNDG, WE FOUND THE RWY, TXWYS, AND RAMP TO BE SNOW-COVERED WITH BRAKING ACTION GOOD. APPROX 30 MINS AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE, FIELD CONDITION INFO REMAINED UNCHANGED AS THE MAIN CABIN DOOR WAS CLOSED IN PREPARATION FOR PUSHBACK. THE ACFT WAS DEICED AT THE GATE. WE CALLED GND FOR CLRNC TO PUSH, AND PUSHBACK WAS APPROVED. HEADSET COM WAS IN USE BTWN THE COCKPIT AND TUG DRIVER AS THE DRIVER BEGAN TO PUSH. DURING PUSHBACK, THE TUG DRIVER CLRED US TO START BOTH ENGS. WITH BOTH ENGS STARTED AND AT IDLE THRUST, THE TUG DRIVER MOMENTARILY STOPPED THE ACFT BUT GAVE NO ORDER/SIGNAL TO SET BRAKES. THE ACFT THEN BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TOW BAR AND TUG STILL ATTACHED GIVING THE APPEARANCE THAT THE TUG WAS PULLING THE ACFT AROUND TO THE L TOWARD THE TXWY. AS THE TUG SWUNG PAST 90 DEGS TO THE L OF THE ACFT'S NOSE, THE CAPT ASKED THE TUG DRIVER IF ALL WAS WELL. THE TUG DRIVER REPLIED THAT ALL WAS NOT WELL. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE TUG DRIVER IF HE WANTED US TO APPLY BRAKES. THE TUG DRIVER SAID 'YES.' THE CAPT APPLIED BRAKES BUT THE TUG ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPACTED THE LOWER L PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE CAUSING A SMALL PUNCTURED HOLE IN THE ACFT SKIN. THE TUG DRIVER NOTIFIED US OVER HEADSET THAT HE WAS NOT INJURED. BOTH ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN. CFR ARRIVED WITHIN ABOUT 1 MIN AND DISCONNECTED THE TUG/TOW BAR. THE CAMP AREA OUTSIDE THE MAIN PAX DOOR WAS SANDED. THEN THE PAX WERE DEPLANED AND TAKEN BY VAN BACK TO THE GATE. A MECH INSPECTED THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY AND THE DAMAGED FUSELAGE. THEN THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE RAMP. THE TUG DRIVER BOARDED OUR ACFT AFTER THE PAX HAD DEPLANED. HE APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCIDENT AND EXPLAINED THAT HE MOMENTARILY STOPPED THE ACFT AND PUT HIS TUG IN REVERSE IN ORDER TO BACK UP AND THEN MOVE FORWARD AGAIN. HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT WHEN HE PUT THE TUG IN REVERSE, OUR ACFT BEGAN PUSHING HIM BACKWARDS AND HE BEGAN SWINGING TO OUR L. HAD THE TUG DRIVER SAID ANYTHING TO INDICATE A PROB AS SOON AS HE SENSED A PROB DEVELOPING, WE COULD HAVE APPLIED BRAKES, REVERSE THRUST, OR SHUT DOWN THE ENGS MUCH SOONER. WE ALSO LEARNED LATER THAT A LARGER TUG HAD BEEN AVAILABLE BUT WAS NOT USED.

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.