Narrative:

On pushback, approximately 50 yards into the push, the tug's engine raced wildly out of control, billows of thick smoke emerged from exhaust and engine cover. Tug lurched to a stop, driver said 'I can't control the engine.' smoke made us and the area IMC, engine still racing. I parked brakes, tug driver bailed out (he had to -- smoke was severe, engine still out of control), so we were still hooked up to the out of control engine on the unattended tug. Had first officer radio ramp for crash fire rescue equipment fire suppression immediately. Ramp rogered our call. Crash fire rescue equipment responded fully '10 mins' after our call to the ramp. Meanwhile, some brave rampers disabled the burning-up engine, which shut down. Why did it take 10 mins for emergency equipment to arrive? Was it our ramp delay in transmitting the call? Was it crash fire rescue equipment's response? When did the call to crash fire rescue equipment go out? When was it received at crash fire rescue equipment? I was waiting for flames to make a ground evacuate/evacuation decision. Flight attendants were notified of the predicament and they asked if I wanted the door armed, which seems like a strange question to me -- we were off the gate facing an evacuate/evacuation. Why wouldn't we want the doors armed? I'm grateful to the rampers who shutdown the runaway towbar, to the burning up engine with no options from the cockpit. I'd like to know that in the case of a fire within a towbar's reach of the aircraft, particularly in a tight alleyway near other jets, which is not unusual, that a crash fire rescue equipment response is 'not' 10 mins away, which would be a real disaster if the tug fire had burned into its gas tank. Supplemental information from acn 616009: at least 2 more times ramp was asked by captain (or myself) if the trucks had been called. Each time ramp stated they had been called. No flames were ever seen, just smoke.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD83 CREW REQUESTED CFR RESPONSE TO THE GATE BECAUSE IF A SUSPECTED TUG THAT WAS ON FIRE. CFR TOOK 10 MINS TO RESPOND.

Narrative: ON PUSHBACK, APPROX 50 YARDS INTO THE PUSH, THE TUG'S ENG RACED WILDLY OUT OF CTL, BILLOWS OF THICK SMOKE EMERGED FROM EXHAUST AND ENG COVER. TUG LURCHED TO A STOP, DRIVER SAID 'I CAN'T CTL THE ENG.' SMOKE MADE US AND THE AREA IMC, ENG STILL RACING. I PARKED BRAKES, TUG DRIVER BAILED OUT (HE HAD TO -- SMOKE WAS SEVERE, ENG STILL OUT OF CTL), SO WE WERE STILL HOOKED UP TO THE OUT OF CTL ENG ON THE UNATTENDED TUG. HAD FO RADIO RAMP FOR CFR FIRE SUPPRESSION IMMEDIATELY. RAMP ROGERED OUR CALL. CFR RESPONDED FULLY '10 MINS' AFTER OUR CALL TO THE RAMP. MEANWHILE, SOME BRAVE RAMPERS DISABLED THE BURNING-UP ENG, WHICH SHUT DOWN. WHY DID IT TAKE 10 MINS FOR EMER EQUIP TO ARRIVE? WAS IT OUR RAMP DELAY IN XMITTING THE CALL? WAS IT CFR'S RESPONSE? WHEN DID THE CALL TO CFR GO OUT? WHEN WAS IT RECEIVED AT CFR? I WAS WAITING FOR FLAMES TO MAKE A GND EVAC DECISION. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOTIFIED OF THE PREDICAMENT AND THEY ASKED IF I WANTED THE DOOR ARMED, WHICH SEEMS LIKE A STRANGE QUESTION TO ME -- WE WERE OFF THE GATE FACING AN EVAC. WHY WOULDN'T WE WANT THE DOORS ARMED? I'M GRATEFUL TO THE RAMPERS WHO SHUTDOWN THE RUNAWAY TOWBAR, TO THE BURNING UP ENG WITH NO OPTIONS FROM THE COCKPIT. I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT IN THE CASE OF A FIRE WITHIN A TOWBAR'S REACH OF THE ACFT, PARTICULARLY IN A TIGHT ALLEYWAY NEAR OTHER JETS, WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL, THAT A CFR RESPONSE IS 'NOT' 10 MINS AWAY, WHICH WOULD BE A REAL DISASTER IF THE TUG FIRE HAD BURNED INTO ITS GAS TANK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 616009: AT LEAST 2 MORE TIMES RAMP WAS ASKED BY CAPT (OR MYSELF) IF THE TRUCKS HAD BEEN CALLED. EACH TIME RAMP STATED THEY HAD BEEN CALLED. NO FLAMES WERE EVER SEEN, JUST SMOKE.

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.