EMB145 flight crew has pushback tug collide with aircraft while parked at the gate at buf.

Attributes
ACN	580090
Time
Date	200304
Day	Thu
Place
Locale Reference	airport : buf.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	580090
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : vd 4
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time none taken : unable
Consequence	other other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

3 crew onboard aircraft, pilots in cockpit, flight attendant in cabin 30 mins from departure, preparing to board passenger. Tow bar attached to aircraft nose gear, not to tug yet. Tug appears to malfunction with driver at controls. Tug begins moving forward, appears against driver's will. Tug drives up tow bar and damages nose of aircraft. Pilots shut down APU, all remaining system, aircraft secured. Pilots then exit to assist injured tug driver.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FLT CREW HAS PUSHBACK TUG COLLIDE WITH ACFT WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE AT BUF.

Narrative: 3 CREW ONBOARD ACFT, PLTS IN COCKPIT, FLT ATTENDANT IN CABIN 30 MINS FROM DEP, PREPARING TO BOARD PAX. TOW BAR ATTACHED TO ACFT NOSE GEAR, NOT TO TUG YET. TUG APPEARS TO MALFUNCTION WITH DRIVER AT CTLS. TUG BEGINS MOVING FORWARD, APPEARS AGAINST DRIVER'S WILL. TUG DRIVES UP TOW BAR AND DAMAGES NOSE OF ACFT. PLTS SHUT DOWN APU, ALL REMAINING SYS, ACFT SECURED. PLTS THEN EXIT TO ASSIST INJURED TUG DRIVER.

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.