MD80 tug, on a slippery snow covered ramp, jackknifed during pushback, and hit the aircraft fuselage...

Attributes
ACN	570177
Time
Date	200301
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : yyz.airport
State Reference	ON
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Snow
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	570177
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	570396
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : far 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
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Weather Company Airport
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

We were being pushed back from gate with light snow falling and ramp slightly snow covered, when we were instructed to start engines. We started left engine while going backwards and applied engine anti-ice. We had maintenance inspect both engines at the gate for contamination and N1 rotation prior to gate departure. Deicing at yyz is done with engines running and we started the second engine and applied anti-icing while being towed forward in a straight line. The first officer handed me contaminated runway information that he calculated to be prepared in case conditions worsened. While looking at the information, I heard the tug impact the left side of the fuselage. This was our first indication of a problem. Products supervisor at yyz informed me that the tug driver attempted to make a last min large correction to put us on the line and exceeded the angular limits or red lines on the gear doors -- spun the tug tires and fishtailed into the side of the aircraft causing the damage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 TUG, ON A SLIPPERY SNOW COVERED RAMP, JACKKNIFED DURING PUSHBACK, AND HIT THE ACFT FUSELAGE.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING PUSHED BACK FROM GATE WITH LIGHT SNOW FALLING AND RAMP SLIGHTLY SNOW COVERED, WHEN WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO START ENGS. WE STARTED L ENG WHILE GOING BACKWARDS AND APPLIED ENG ANTI-ICE. WE HAD MAINT INSPECT BOTH ENGS AT THE GATE FOR CONTAMINATION AND N1 ROTATION PRIOR TO GATE DEP. DEICING AT YYZ IS DONE WITH ENGS RUNNING AND WE STARTED THE SECOND ENG AND APPLIED ANTI-ICING WHILE BEING TOWED FORWARD IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE FO HANDED ME CONTAMINATED RWY INFO THAT HE CALCULATED TO BE PREPARED IN CASE CONDITIONS WORSENED. WHILE LOOKING AT THE INFO, I HEARD THE TUG IMPACT THE L SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. THIS WAS OUR FIRST INDICATION OF A PROB. PRODUCTS SUPVR AT YYZ INFORMED ME THAT THE TUG DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LAST MIN LARGE CORRECTION TO PUT US ON THE LINE AND EXCEEDED THE ANGULAR LIMITS OR RED LINES ON THE GEAR DOORS -- SPUN THE TUG TIRES AND FISHTAILED INTO THE SIDE OF THE ACFT CAUSING THE DAMAGE.

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.