Aircraft damage and personnel injury during pushback.

Attributes
ACN	569385
Time
Date	200212
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	569385
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	569220
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

During pushback, the captain communicated to the tug driver to push back only to the hold line. The tug driver then pushed us back beyond the hold line, then stopped. I then had to contact ramp control to inform them of the situation. The captain then told the tug driver that he had pushed back too far. As I talked to ramp control, I was looking behind and right to see if there were any aircraft that were endangered by our aircraft. At that time I heard a loud bang. I looked forward and saw that the tug driver was not on the tug and the headset was left on the tug. I could only see the tug without anyone near it. The aircraft started to roll forward then was stopped quickly by the captain. Once we stopped, I saw the tug driver holding his arm that was broken as he walked to the right of the aircraft, out from under the nose. At no time did I think the ground crew was going to disconnect the tow bar. I never heard a command to the captain to set the brakes. The tug driver was not following company procedures, he never should have taken off the headset or left the tug unattended. He was not following the captain's instructions. The aircraft strut and nose gear door were damaged. Supplemental information from acn 569220: during pushback (using headsets) tug operator wearing headset failed to inform flight crew pushback completed or request parking brake. Ground crew attempted to remove tow bar causing aircraft damage (right nose gear door) and personnel injury (broken arm). Flight was under assumption aircraft was still being positioned. Unable to see ground crew or tow, flight crew needs to be informed of termination of pushback and request parking brake and remove tow bar. 1) failure of tow driver to terminate pushback with crew. 2) failure of tow driver to straighten out alignment of tow tractor, tow bar on aircraft. 3) tow tractor driver took off headset. 4) tow tractor driver failed to ask flight crew to 'set parking brake.' 5) tow tractor driver left tow tractor and tried to disconnect.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGE AND PERSONNEL INJURY DURING PUSHBACK.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK, THE CAPT COMMUNICATED TO THE TUG DRIVER TO PUSH BACK ONLY TO THE HOLD LINE. THE TUG DRIVER THEN PUSHED US BACK BEYOND THE HOLD LINE, THEN STOPPED. I THEN HAD TO CONTACT RAMP CTL TO INFORM THEM OF THE SIT. THE CAPT THEN TOLD THE TUG DRIVER THAT HE HAD PUSHED BACK TOO FAR. AS I TALKED TO RAMP CTL, I WAS LOOKING BEHIND AND R TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY ACFT THAT WERE ENDANGERED BY OUR ACFT. AT THAT TIME I HEARD A LOUD BANG. I LOOKED FORWARD AND SAW THAT THE TUG DRIVER WAS NOT ON THE TUG AND THE HEADSET WAS LEFT ON THE TUG. I COULD ONLY SEE THE TUG WITHOUT ANYONE NEAR IT. THE ACFT STARTED TO ROLL FORWARD THEN WAS STOPPED QUICKLY BY THE CAPT. ONCE WE STOPPED, I SAW THE TUG DRIVER HOLDING HIS ARM THAT WAS BROKEN AS HE WALKED TO THE R OF THE ACFT, OUT FROM UNDER THE NOSE. AT NO TIME DID I THINK THE GND CREW WAS GOING TO DISCONNECT THE TOW BAR. I NEVER HEARD A COMMAND TO THE CAPT TO SET THE BRAKES. THE TUG DRIVER WAS NOT FOLLOWING COMPANY PROCS, HE NEVER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF THE HEADSET OR LEFT THE TUG UNATTENDED. HE WAS NOT FOLLOWING THE CAPT'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE ACFT STRUT AND NOSE GEAR DOOR WERE DAMAGED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 569220: DURING PUSHBACK (USING HEADSETS) TUG OPERATOR WEARING HEADSET FAILED TO INFORM FLC PUSHBACK COMPLETED OR REQUEST PARKING BRAKE. GND CREW ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE TOW BAR CAUSING ACFT DAMAGE (R NOSE GEAR DOOR) AND PERSONNEL INJURY (BROKEN ARM). FLT WAS UNDER ASSUMPTION ACFT WAS STILL BEING POSITIONED. UNABLE TO SEE GND CREW OR TOW, FLC NEEDS TO BE INFORMED OF TERMINATION OF PUSHBACK AND REQUEST PARKING BRAKE AND REMOVE TOW BAR. 1) FAILURE OF TOW DRIVER TO TERMINATE PUSHBACK WITH CREW. 2) FAILURE OF TOW DRIVER TO STRAIGHTEN OUT ALIGNMENT OF TOW TRACTOR, TOW BAR ON ACFT. 3) TOW TRACTOR DRIVER TOOK OFF HEADSET. 4) TOW TRACTOR DRIVER FAILED TO ASK FLC TO 'SET PARKING BRAKE.' 5) TOW TRACTOR DRIVER LEFT TOW TRACTOR AND TRIED TO DISCONNECT.

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.