B757-200 crew was pushed back from the gate, so hard that the tow bar broke.

Attributes
ACN	606532
Time
Date	200401
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 223 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	606532
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical ground encounters other non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Flight experienced a broken tow bar on pushback. Brakes released at XA37Z from gate at lax. We were cleared to push back onto taxiway. We were given clearance to start engines during pushback from the tug operator as we left the ramp area. There were a series of erratic jerks felt. I looked up and noticed we were not aligned with the centerline of taxiway. It appeared to me the tug operator was having difficulty aligning the aircraft on the center of the taxiway. The nose of the aircraft was pointing south of the centerline of taxiway. The tug was aligned on the left side of the aircraft. It appeared the tug driver attempted to correct the alignment. There was a very rough back and forth movement. The severity of this movement was alarming. There was a crunching noise. I queried the tug operator, 'what happened? Did something strike the aircraft?' he responded with 'set brakes, the tow bar broke.' I asked if the aircraft was ok. He said it was. I said 'are you sure?' there was a pause. The tug operator then said a mechanic was on the way. A mechanic came up on the intercom and said that there was a part of the tow bar stuck on the nosewheel and we would have to return to the gate. I asked my first officer to call ramp and tell them we had to return to the gate. They gave us a gate about the same time the mechanic said he wanted us at gate xx or gate xy (I think, but not sure). I asked him to stand by and not disconnect the headsets. We coordinated, they said ok. I called the mechanic on the intercom and told him we were ready to taxi in and asked him to give me a salute and release from guidance on the left side of the aircraft, which he did. We taxied in. Maintenance said they had to remove one of the nose gear wheels in order to remove the tow part that was stuck on the aircraft. The repair took best part of an hour. Once it was finished, we departed for sfo without further incident. In my opinion, unless there was a mechanical problem with the tug, the cause of this incident can be attributed to a tug operator error as opposed to a random failure of a tow bar.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW WAS PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE, SO HARD THAT THE TOW BAR BROKE.

Narrative: FLT EXPERIENCED A BROKEN TOW BAR ON PUSHBACK. BRAKES RELEASED AT XA37Z FROM GATE AT LAX. WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH BACK ONTO TXWY. WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO START ENGS DURING PUSHBACK FROM THE TUG OPERATOR AS WE LEFT THE RAMP AREA. THERE WERE A SERIES OF ERRATIC JERKS FELT. I LOOKED UP AND NOTICED WE WERE NOT ALIGNED WITH THE CTRLINE OF TXWY. IT APPEARED TO ME THE TUG OPERATOR WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY ALIGNING THE ACFT ON THE CTR OF THE TXWY. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS POINTING S OF THE CTRLINE OF TXWY. THE TUG WAS ALIGNED ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. IT APPEARED THE TUG DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE ALIGNMENT. THERE WAS A VERY ROUGH BACK AND FORTH MOVEMENT. THE SEVERITY OF THIS MOVEMENT WAS ALARMING. THERE WAS A CRUNCHING NOISE. I QUERIED THE TUG OPERATOR, 'WHAT HAPPENED? DID SOMETHING STRIKE THE ACFT?' HE RESPONDED WITH 'SET BRAKES, THE TOW BAR BROKE.' I ASKED IF THE ACFT WAS OK. HE SAID IT WAS. I SAID 'ARE YOU SURE?' THERE WAS A PAUSE. THE TUG OPERATOR THEN SAID A MECH WAS ON THE WAY. A MECH CAME UP ON THE INTERCOM AND SAID THAT THERE WAS A PART OF THE TOW BAR STUCK ON THE NOSEWHEEL AND WE WOULD HAVE TO RETURN TO THE GATE. I ASKED MY FO TO CALL RAMP AND TELL THEM WE HAD TO RETURN TO THE GATE. THEY GAVE US A GATE ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE MECH SAID HE WANTED US AT GATE XX OR GATE XY (I THINK, BUT NOT SURE). I ASKED HIM TO STAND BY AND NOT DISCONNECT THE HEADSETS. WE COORDINATED, THEY SAID OK. I CALLED THE MECH ON THE INTERCOM AND TOLD HIM WE WERE READY TO TAXI IN AND ASKED HIM TO GIVE ME A SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT, WHICH HE DID. WE TAXIED IN. MAINT SAID THEY HAD TO REMOVE ONE OF THE NOSE GEAR WHEELS IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE TOW PART THAT WAS STUCK ON THE ACFT. THE REPAIR TOOK BEST PART OF AN HR. ONCE IT WAS FINISHED, WE DEPARTED FOR SFO WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN MY OPINION, UNLESS THERE WAS A MECHANICAL PROB WITH THE TUG, THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO A TUG OPERATOR ERROR AS OPPOSED TO A RANDOM FAILURE OF A TOW BAR.

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.