Narrative:

On feb/fri/06 at XA30 we were moving aircraft off the wash rack back to gate. I was the tug driver; technician Y was in the cockpit. We had 2 wing walkers and tail walkers -- total of 5 people during pushback. During pushback; the tow bar snapped and we halted all operations. We found that the tow bar shear pin didn't shear and broke the collar for towing aircraft. We found after we beat the shear pin out the collar on the tow bar didn't move side-to-side -- it was frozen. The damage that was caused to aircraft X partly due to defective tow bar. There were 4 airplanes being moved at the same time during our move off the wash rack. It made it very hard to hear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A B737-300 PUSHBACK ENTERING A TURN THE TOW BAR SNAPPED. THE TOW BAR SHEAR BOLT DID NOT SHEAR BUT THE NOSE GEAR TOW LUG BOLT SHEARED.

Narrative: ON FEB/FRI/06 AT XA30 WE WERE MOVING ACFT OFF THE WASH RACK BACK TO GATE. I WAS THE TUG DRIVER; TECHNICIAN Y WAS IN THE COCKPIT. WE HAD 2 WING WALKERS AND TAIL WALKERS -- TOTAL OF 5 PEOPLE DURING PUSHBACK. DURING PUSHBACK; THE TOW BAR SNAPPED AND WE HALTED ALL OPS. WE FOUND THAT THE TOW BAR SHEAR PIN DIDN'T SHEAR AND BROKE THE COLLAR FOR TOWING ACFT. WE FOUND AFTER WE BEAT THE SHEAR PIN OUT THE COLLAR ON THE TOW BAR DIDN'T MOVE SIDE-TO-SIDE -- IT WAS FROZEN. THE DAMAGE THAT WAS CAUSED TO ACFT X PARTLY DUE TO DEFECTIVE TOW BAR. THERE WERE 4 AIRPLANES BEING MOVED AT THE SAME TIME DURING OUR MOVE OFF THE WASH RACK. IT MADE IT VERY HARD TO HEAR.

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.