Narrative:

Aircraft damaged on ground. During pushback as the aircraft was rolling backwards, we heard a loud clanging noise and several bangs from the nose gear area, then the tug driver called 'brakes parked.' I said 'we're still moving,' and he replied, 'the airplane has come disconnected from the towbar. Park the brakes now.' I gently parked the brakes and asked what happened. He replied 'the towbar came off, and I think you should call maintenance out.' I called maintenance, and they asked if the bar came off or broke. When I asked why, they said if it just came off we don't need to send someone out. I replied, 'you don't seem to understand, we need a mechanic out here to inspect for damage, I don't care why it came off.' then the exasperated person on the radio said they would send someone out. Shortly, a mechanic came out and said we were good to go, would we like to check the steering? I replied yes and when we did I couldn't move the tiller, told the mechanic, and he then realized the bypass pin was installed and he removed it, then the steering seemed to work ok so we departed. On climb out we noticed a low frequency hum and the rudder pedals were vibrating slightly. During the descent the hum/vibration started again for a few mins in the descent then stopped. Upon arrival, the guide man immediately pointed to the nose gear area and showed the damage to the agent on the bridge. After conferring with maintenance, we found a tear in the bottom of the left gear door, the right door was bent in on the trailing edge and there was a large gash in the left tire that required changing. Both dents had red paint on them presumably from the towbar. I am unable to understand how this was missed by the mechanic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING PUSHBACK THE TOWBAR BECOMES DISCONNECTED ON AN MD80. AFTER THE STATION RELUCTANTLY SENDS A MECH TO INSPECT, THE ACFT IS RELEASED. AT DEST NOSEWHEEL TIRE AND DOOR DAMAGE IS FOUND ACCOUNTING FOR VIBRATION AND NOISE IN THAT AREA DURING FLT.

Narrative: ACFT DAMAGED ON GND. DURING PUSHBACK AS THE ACFT WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS, WE HEARD A LOUD CLANGING NOISE AND SEVERAL BANGS FROM THE NOSE GEAR AREA, THEN THE TUG DRIVER CALLED 'BRAKES PARKED.' I SAID 'WE'RE STILL MOVING,' AND HE REPLIED, 'THE AIRPLANE HAS COME DISCONNECTED FROM THE TOWBAR. PARK THE BRAKES NOW.' I GENTLY PARKED THE BRAKES AND ASKED WHAT HAPPENED. HE REPLIED 'THE TOWBAR CAME OFF, AND I THINK YOU SHOULD CALL MAINT OUT.' I CALLED MAINT, AND THEY ASKED IF THE BAR CAME OFF OR BROKE. WHEN I ASKED WHY, THEY SAID IF IT JUST CAME OFF WE DON'T NEED TO SEND SOMEONE OUT. I REPLIED, 'YOU DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND, WE NEED A MECH OUT HERE TO INSPECT FOR DAMAGE, I DON'T CARE WHY IT CAME OFF.' THEN THE EXASPERATED PERSON ON THE RADIO SAID THEY WOULD SEND SOMEONE OUT. SHORTLY, A MECH CAME OUT AND SAID WE WERE GOOD TO GO, WOULD WE LIKE TO CHK THE STEERING? I REPLIED YES AND WHEN WE DID I COULDN'T MOVE THE TILLER, TOLD THE MECH, AND HE THEN REALIZED THE BYPASS PIN WAS INSTALLED AND HE REMOVED IT, THEN THE STEERING SEEMED TO WORK OK SO WE DEPARTED. ON CLBOUT WE NOTICED A LOW FREQ HUM AND THE RUDDER PEDALS WERE VIBRATING SLIGHTLY. DURING THE DSCNT THE HUM/VIBRATION STARTED AGAIN FOR A FEW MINS IN THE DSCNT THEN STOPPED. UPON ARR, THE GUIDE MAN IMMEDIATELY POINTED TO THE NOSE GEAR AREA AND SHOWED THE DAMAGE TO THE AGENT ON THE BRIDGE. AFTER CONFERRING WITH MAINT, WE FOUND A TEAR IN THE BOTTOM OF THE L GEAR DOOR, THE R DOOR WAS BENT IN ON THE TRAILING EDGE AND THERE WAS A LARGE GASH IN THE L TIRE THAT REQUIRED CHANGING. BOTH DENTS HAD RED PAINT ON THEM PRESUMABLY FROM THE TOWBAR. I AM UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WAS MISSED BY THE MECH.

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.