Narrative:

We commenced our pushback upon clearance from the ramp tower. Once underway, the tug driver cleared us for engine start. The first officer began the start sequence for the left engine. As we were pushed to the point we'd normally stop and set the brakes. The ramp tower issued instructions for us to push back much farther in order to make room for an aircraft entering the ramp. I relayed these instructions to the tug driver, who didn't acknowledge. I felt a slight bump, and the push continued. Almost immediately after the bump, the tug driver told me to set brakes. I declined to do so and repeated we needed to push farther back. With a very urgent tone, the tug driver repeated the instructions to set brakes, repeating himself a few times. I brought the aircraft to an immediate stop. As we came to a stop, there was a noise of impact under the nosewheel. The tug driver told us about damage to the nosewheel spray deflector, but no harm to any individuals on the ground. About this time, the lead flight attendant informed us that one of the flight attendants in the back of the airplane had been thrown to the ground by the abrupt stop and had been injured. We were pulled back into the gate and were met by mechanics, who were able to repair the damage within an hour. The injured flight attendant thought she was ok to continue flying, at first. Later, she determined she was unfit and called for a replacement flight attendant. With our aircraft repaired and a replacement flight attendant, we were re-dispatched and flew to austin. There's no way I can be sure, but it seems that the tug driver didn't or couldn't hear my instructions to continue the push. When he asked me to set brakes, he assumed my response was the usual, and he must have begun the disconnecting. If this was the case, he wasn't following correct procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ACFT IS DAMAGED AND A CABIN ATTENDANT IS INJURED WHEN THE FLT CREW ABRUPTLY PUTS ON THE BRAKES AFTER HITTING SOMETHING DURING PUSHBACK.

Narrative: WE COMMENCED OUR PUSHBACK UPON CLRNC FROM THE RAMP TWR. ONCE UNDERWAY, THE TUG DRIVER CLRED US FOR ENG START. THE FO BEGAN THE START SEQUENCE FOR THE L ENG. AS WE WERE PUSHED TO THE POINT WE'D NORMALLY STOP AND SET THE BRAKES. THE RAMP TWR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FOR US TO PUSH BACK MUCH FARTHER IN ORDER TO MAKE ROOM FOR AN ACFT ENTERING THE RAMP. I RELAYED THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE TUG DRIVER, WHO DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE. I FELT A SLIGHT BUMP, AND THE PUSH CONTINUED. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BUMP, THE TUG DRIVER TOLD ME TO SET BRAKES. I DECLINED TO DO SO AND REPEATED WE NEEDED TO PUSH FARTHER BACK. WITH A VERY URGENT TONE, THE TUG DRIVER REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO SET BRAKES, REPEATING HIMSELF A FEW TIMES. I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP. AS WE CAME TO A STOP, THERE WAS A NOISE OF IMPACT UNDER THE NOSEWHEEL. THE TUG DRIVER TOLD US ABOUT DAMAGE TO THE NOSEWHEEL SPRAY DEFLECTOR, BUT NO HARM TO ANY INDIVIDUALS ON THE GND. ABOUT THIS TIME, THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN THROWN TO THE GND BY THE ABRUPT STOP AND HAD BEEN INJURED. WE WERE PULLED BACK INTO THE GATE AND WERE MET BY MECHS, WHO WERE ABLE TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE WITHIN AN HR. THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT THOUGHT SHE WAS OK TO CONTINUE FLYING, AT FIRST. LATER, SHE DETERMINED SHE WAS UNFIT AND CALLED FOR A REPLACEMENT FLT ATTENDANT. WITH OUR ACFT REPAIRED AND A REPLACEMENT FLT ATTENDANT, WE WERE RE-DISPATCHED AND FLEW TO AUSTIN. THERE'S NO WAY I CAN BE SURE, BUT IT SEEMS THAT THE TUG DRIVER DIDN'T OR COULDN'T HEAR MY INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE THE PUSH. WHEN HE ASKED ME TO SET BRAKES, HE ASSUMED MY RESPONSE WAS THE USUAL, AND HE MUST HAVE BEGUN THE DISCONNECTING. IF THIS WAS THE CASE, HE WASN'T FOLLOWING CORRECT PROCS.

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.