B757 has nose light damage during pushback at dfw.

Attributes
ACN	569367
Time
Date	200212
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	569367
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	569366
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : gnd crew
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

First officer and I were busy preparing the aircraft for departure. I looked at the guideman, who was giving me a release the brakes signal. After calling ramp for push, I released the brakes, and we began the pushback. It was night, and it was raining. Ramp wanted us to go tail west from the gate at dfw, but we had no way of telling the guideman tail west. We told ramp that we could not talk to the guideman, as we were using hand signals. They said 'straight back' was ok. During the push, the guideman gave us the cleared to start signal, and I began to start the left engine. About this time, the aircraft stopped moving backwards. Ramp advised the first officer that they did not think we were pushed back far enough to clear the aircraft tail at the gate next to us. About this time, the guideman gave me the 'set brakes' signal. I did not set the brakes right away, as we were clarifying with ramp a proper stop point. At this point, I am not sure if the tow bar was being disconnected by the ground crew with the brakes unset, or if the brakes were not fully set at the stop point. After turning on the engine anti-ice on the overhead, I looked forward and saw the aircraft moving slowly forward. I applied the brakes, and the aircraft stopped. The guideman saw that the tow bar had very gently come in contact with the taxi-light bracket. We were pulled back into the gate. Maintenance repaired the bracket, and we departed to tul without further incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 HAS NOSE LIGHT DAMAGE DURING PUSHBACK AT DFW.

Narrative: FO AND I WERE BUSY PREPARING THE ACFT FOR DEP. I LOOKED AT THE GUIDEMAN, WHO WAS GIVING ME A RELEASE THE BRAKES SIGNAL. AFTER CALLING RAMP FOR PUSH, I RELEASED THE BRAKES, AND WE BEGAN THE PUSHBACK. IT WAS NIGHT, AND IT WAS RAINING. RAMP WANTED US TO GO TAIL W FROM THE GATE AT DFW, BUT WE HAD NO WAY OF TELLING THE GUIDEMAN TAIL W. WE TOLD RAMP THAT WE COULD NOT TALK TO THE GUIDEMAN, AS WE WERE USING HAND SIGNALS. THEY SAID 'STRAIGHT BACK' WAS OK. DURING THE PUSH, THE GUIDEMAN GAVE US THE CLRED TO START SIGNAL, AND I BEGAN TO START THE L ENG. ABOUT THIS TIME, THE ACFT STOPPED MOVING BACKWARDS. RAMP ADVISED THE FO THAT THEY DID NOT THINK WE WERE PUSHED BACK FAR ENOUGH TO CLR THE ACFT TAIL AT THE GATE NEXT TO US. ABOUT THIS TIME, THE GUIDEMAN GAVE ME THE 'SET BRAKES' SIGNAL. I DID NOT SET THE BRAKES RIGHT AWAY, AS WE WERE CLARIFYING WITH RAMP A PROPER STOP POINT. AT THIS POINT, I AM NOT SURE IF THE TOW BAR WAS BEING DISCONNECTED BY THE GND CREW WITH THE BRAKES UNSET, OR IF THE BRAKES WERE NOT FULLY SET AT THE STOP POINT. AFTER TURNING ON THE ENG ANTI-ICE ON THE OVERHEAD, I LOOKED FORWARD AND SAW THE ACFT MOVING SLOWLY FORWARD. I APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND THE ACFT STOPPED. THE GUIDEMAN SAW THAT THE TOW BAR HAD VERY GENTLY COME IN CONTACT WITH THE TAXI-LIGHT BRACKET. WE WERE PULLED BACK INTO THE GATE. MAINT REPAIRED THE BRACKET, AND WE DEPARTED TO TUL WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.