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The captain of an MD80 reports a tug collision with the tow bar; which was attached to the aircraft; while attempting to hook up.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 701387 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200606 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sea.airport |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time type : 7000 |
| ASRS Report | 701387 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ground encounters : vehicle |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
During passenger boarding at seattle tacoma airport; observed tug approach nose of aircraft in an attempt to hook up tow bar for pushback. Tow bar had already been installed and attached to nose gear. Tug did not stop causing the tow bar to be forced below the tug and impacting the tow bar with an excessive force; thus resulting in an excessive force being impacted upon the nose gear of aircraft. Tug was still in forward motion and impacted the tow bar a second time causing a second impact with the nose gear of aircraft. A wheel attached to the bottom of the tow bar was broken off. Approximately 20 passenger were on board as well as approximately 30 passenger in the jetway. All passenger felt or heard the aircraft move with an extreme double hit. A catering truck was at the aft galley door; and was very concerned with the aircraft movement as well. A maintenance logbook write-up was made; documenting the extreme double impact to the nose gear through the tow bar. Maintenance inspected; could not find any damage and released the aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE CAPT OF AN MD80 RPTS A TUG COLLISION WITH THE TOW BAR; WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE ACFT; WHILE ATTEMPTING TO HOOK UP.
Narrative: DURING PAX BOARDING AT SEATTLE TACOMA ARPT; OBSERVED TUG APCH NOSE OF ACFT IN AN ATTEMPT TO HOOK UP TOW BAR FOR PUSHBACK. TOW BAR HAD ALREADY BEEN INSTALLED AND ATTACHED TO NOSE GEAR. TUG DID NOT STOP CAUSING THE TOW BAR TO BE FORCED BELOW THE TUG AND IMPACTING THE TOW BAR WITH AN EXCESSIVE FORCE; THUS RESULTING IN AN EXCESSIVE FORCE BEING IMPACTED UPON THE NOSE GEAR OF ACFT. TUG WAS STILL IN FORWARD MOTION AND IMPACTED THE TOW BAR A SECOND TIME CAUSING A SECOND IMPACT WITH THE NOSE GEAR OF ACFT. A WHEEL ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TOW BAR WAS BROKEN OFF. APPROX 20 PAX WERE ON BOARD AS WELL AS APPROX 30 PAX IN THE JETWAY. ALL PAX FELT OR HEARD THE ACFT MOVE WITH AN EXTREME DOUBLE HIT. A CATERING TRUCK WAS AT THE AFT GALLEY DOOR; AND WAS VERY CONCERNED WITH THE ACFT MOVEMENT AS WELL. A MAINT LOGBOOK WRITE-UP WAS MADE; DOCUMENTING THE EXTREME DOUBLE IMPACT TO THE NOSE GEAR THROUGH THE TOW BAR. MAINT INSPECTED; COULD NOT FIND ANY DAMAGE AND RELEASED THE ACFT.
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.