Narrative:

Concerns the operation of flight from ZZZ to cvg. I was the captain and PIC of that flight. I was assisted in the cockpit by first officer and we were operating an MD88. In den we were initially delayed for approximately 1 hour for maintenance discrepancies. Once these items were cleared by maintenance, we pushed back, started engines and taxied to the runway area. While performing our pretkof checks, however, we could not obtain a proper slat indication/takeoff light. We taxied back to the gate and shut down the aircraft. Maintenance came on board again and performed the procedures necessary to clear the problem. When maintenance indicated they were finished and the appropriate logbook entries had been made, we prepared again for departure. Prior to our engine start sequence, I did not direct re-accomplishment of the before start checklist. We had not left our seats or unstrapped, and I believed we were prepared to go. (Note: if we had run the before start checklist, the responses to it would not have been normal due to the procedures necessary to comply with the MEL.) pushback was normal and the initial stages of engine start also appeared normal. Shortly after start, however, I noticed the aircraft was moving forward while still attached to the towbar. It was then I saw that the throttles were advanced. The first officer and I reached for them at the same time and pulled them to idle. By that time, however, the aircraft had moved sufficiently forward to contact the tug. We set the parking brake and secured the engine. I determined there were no injuries on the ground or among the passenger. 1 flight attendant was treated for an injury to her shoulder. Subsequent external examination of the aircraft revealed a fuselage tear approximately 4 ft long.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLT CREW HAS COLLISION WITH THE PUSHBACK TUG DURING ENG START.

Narrative: CONCERNS THE OP OF FLT FROM ZZZ TO CVG. I WAS THE CAPT AND PIC OF THAT FLT. I WAS ASSISTED IN THE COCKPIT BY FO AND WE WERE OPERATING AN MD88. IN DEN WE WERE INITIALLY DELAYED FOR APPROX 1 HR FOR MAINT DISCREPANCIES. ONCE THESE ITEMS WERE CLRED BY MAINT, WE PUSHED BACK, STARTED ENGS AND TAXIED TO THE RWY AREA. WHILE PERFORMING OUR PRETKOF CHKS, HOWEVER, WE COULD NOT OBTAIN A PROPER SLAT INDICATION/TKOF LIGHT. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. MAINT CAME ON BOARD AGAIN AND PERFORMED THE PROCS NECESSARY TO CLR THE PROB. WHEN MAINT INDICATED THEY WERE FINISHED AND THE APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENTRIES HAD BEEN MADE, WE PREPARED AGAIN FOR DEP. PRIOR TO OUR ENG START SEQUENCE, I DID NOT DIRECT RE-ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. WE HAD NOT LEFT OUR SEATS OR UNSTRAPPED, AND I BELIEVED WE WERE PREPARED TO GO. (NOTE: IF WE HAD RUN THE BEFORE START CHKLIST, THE RESPONSES TO IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NORMAL DUE TO THE PROCS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH THE MEL.) PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL AND THE INITIAL STAGES OF ENG START ALSO APPEARED NORMAL. SHORTLY AFTER START, HOWEVER, I NOTICED THE ACFT WAS MOVING FORWARD WHILE STILL ATTACHED TO THE TOWBAR. IT WAS THEN I SAW THAT THE THROTTLES WERE ADVANCED. THE FO AND I REACHED FOR THEM AT THE SAME TIME AND PULLED THEM TO IDLE. BY THAT TIME, HOWEVER, THE ACFT HAD MOVED SUFFICIENTLY FORWARD TO CONTACT THE TUG. WE SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND SECURED THE ENG. I DETERMINED THERE WERE NO INJURIES ON THE GND OR AMONG THE PAX. 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS TREATED FOR AN INJURY TO HER SHOULDER. SUBSEQUENT EXTERNAL EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED A FUSELAGE TEAR APPROX 4 FT LONG.

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.