Narrative:

The first officer and I were sitting in the cockpit waiting for passenger to finish boarding when there was an extremely hard push against the nose gear of the aircraft as well as a quite loud noise. The first officer and I immediately proceeded to the ramp to ascertain what happened. Apparently, while driving the tug up to connect to the towbar already attached to the plane, the tug surged forward and rammed into the towbar causing the push and the noise. The first officer and I were very concerned as to damage to the nose gear area and after I discussed the situation with the maintenance supervisor, I believe that we were both of the conclusion that a gear swing should be done prior to flight. It was a very violent movement and noise of the plane which startled the passenger on board. I felt, due to the nature of the incident, I was not willing to become a test pilot without a gear swing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TUG DRIVER ACCIDENTALLY LETS THE TUG SURGE INTO THE NOSE GEAR OF A B737 RESULTING IN MAINT DOING A GEAR SWING.

Narrative: THE FO AND I WERE SITTING IN THE COCKPIT WAITING FOR PAX TO FINISH BOARDING WHEN THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY HARD PUSH AGAINST THE NOSE GEAR OF THE ACFT AS WELL AS A QUITE LOUD NOISE. THE FO AND I IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO THE RAMP TO ASCERTAIN WHAT HAPPENED. APPARENTLY, WHILE DRIVING THE TUG UP TO CONNECT TO THE TOWBAR ALREADY ATTACHED TO THE PLANE, THE TUG SURGED FORWARD AND RAMMED INTO THE TOWBAR CAUSING THE PUSH AND THE NOISE. THE FO AND I WERE VERY CONCERNED AS TO DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR AREA AND AFTER I DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THE MAINT SUPVR, I BELIEVE THAT WE WERE BOTH OF THE CONCLUSION THAT A GEAR SWING SHOULD BE DONE PRIOR TO FLT. IT WAS A VERY VIOLENT MOVEMENT AND NOISE OF THE PLANE WHICH STARTLED THE PAX ON BOARD. I FELT, DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS NOT WILLING TO BECOME A TEST PLT WITHOUT A GEAR SWING.

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.