Narrative:

APU was inoperative. Air started #1 engine at the gate. Ramp asked us to push back tail west so as not to direct jetblast at gates. Pushback was normal until ground crew tried to disconnect tow bar. Ground crew had a hard time disconnecting the tow bar; it seemed to be stuck. Captain asked ground crew if they would like him to release brakes so they could pull us forward to straighten us out. Ground crew told captain to release brakes and then pushed us back a little further. I then heard and felt what I believed to be the ground crew trying to disconnect the tow bar. I voiced this to the captain; who proceeded to tell the ground crew that the brakes were released multiple times. The next thing we felt was a bump. Ramp told captain to set the brakes. Captain set brakes and ground crew told him that we had run over the tow bar. Ground crew said it looked ok and no one was hurt. We called maintenance and they towed us back on the gate. It should be noted that I was not monitoring the interphone and only heard the captain's side of the conversation. Supplemental information from acn 652340: they removed the tow bar anyway and were ready to release us. I asked the first officer to call maintenance to get someone to inspect the aircraft. I told the ground crew we were going to wait for maintenance to inspect. Maintenance arrived quickly and we were informed there might be slight damage to the nose gear and we would need to taxi back to the gate for further inspection. The area in front of the aircraft was cleared and we were given a salute and release for taxi into the gate. I taxied in to the gate and we shut down. The mechanic said the aircraft would have to be thoroughly inspected; but there was another aircraft available shortly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A SINGLE ENG PUSHBACK; DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE A320 NOSE GEAR WHILE THE GND CREW ATTEMPTED THE TOW BAR DISCONNECT.

Narrative: APU WAS INOP. AIR STARTED #1 ENG AT THE GATE. RAMP ASKED US TO PUSH BACK TAIL W SO AS NOT TO DIRECT JETBLAST AT GATES. PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL UNTIL GND CREW TRIED TO DISCONNECT TOW BAR. GND CREW HAD A HARD TIME DISCONNECTING THE TOW BAR; IT SEEMED TO BE STUCK. CAPT ASKED GND CREW IF THEY WOULD LIKE HIM TO RELEASE BRAKES SO THEY COULD PULL US FORWARD TO STRAIGHTEN US OUT. GND CREW TOLD CAPT TO RELEASE BRAKES AND THEN PUSHED US BACK A LITTLE FURTHER. I THEN HEARD AND FELT WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE THE GND CREW TRYING TO DISCONNECT THE TOW BAR. I VOICED THIS TO THE CAPT; WHO PROCEEDED TO TELL THE GND CREW THAT THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE NEXT THING WE FELT WAS A BUMP. RAMP TOLD CAPT TO SET THE BRAKES. CAPT SET BRAKES AND GND CREW TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD RUN OVER THE TOW BAR. GND CREW SAID IT LOOKED OK AND NO ONE WAS HURT. WE CALLED MAINT AND THEY TOWED US BACK ON THE GATE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT I WAS NOT MONITORING THE INTERPHONE AND ONLY HEARD THE CAPT'S SIDE OF THE CONVERSATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 652340: THEY REMOVED THE TOW BAR ANYWAY AND WERE READY TO RELEASE US. I ASKED THE FO TO CALL MAINT TO GET SOMEONE TO INSPECT THE ACFT. I TOLD THE GND CREW WE WERE GOING TO WAIT FOR MAINT TO INSPECT. MAINT ARRIVED QUICKLY AND WE WERE INFORMED THERE MIGHT BE SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR AND WE WOULD NEED TO TAXI BACK TO THE GATE FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE AREA IN FRONT OF THE ACFT WAS CLRED AND WE WERE GIVEN A SALUTE AND RELEASE FOR TAXI INTO THE GATE. I TAXIED IN TO THE GATE AND WE SHUT DOWN. THE MECH SAID THE ACFT WOULD HAVE TO BE THOROUGHLY INSPECTED; BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT AVAILABLE SHORTLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.