Narrative:

The aircraft was parked at gate in jfk. Before starting the pushback; I requested headsets for communication but was told by hand signals that they were not available; as is usually the case in jfk. Pushback started by a straight push while the first officer was clear to start engine #1. Engine #2 was spooling up as we started a 90 degree turn to the right. The first officer was concentrating on the engine start and the tug disappeared in a dead angle approximately 45 degrees to the right of the nose. The plane was stopped then pulled straight forward at a pretty good pace. At the same moment the pushback felt a little more 'shaky' as is the case with new operators but nothing more. I then saw the wing walker rushing to my side and starting to make gestures before finally crossing the wands. I then applied the brakes and asked my first officer if he was seeing something abnormal. We then realized that the tow bar had snapped on us. The plane was secured then I went outside to assess the situation. I saw the tow bar broken approximately 2 ft away from the tug end and discovered the right side scratched by the tug from 1 ft aft of the ice detector gauge to 2 ft forward of the fuel panel control door. I called the chief pilot office in cvg who directed me to maintenance control. While waiting for local maintenance; I made a PA explaining the situation. When the mechanics showed up; I went with them to be educated on the situation. One of them immediately pointed out the fact that the tug used was a baggage tug and not a pushback tug and; therefore; was not equipped with the proper tow bar lockdown pin. The one used was too thin and was allowing the tow bar to twist; which looking at the remains appeared to have caused the shear. Looking more carefully at the damage on the skin the mechanic showed an area where the skin was pierced and several 'ribs' bent. A write-up was entered in the book and flight control decided on an airplane swap which was promptly performed. The cause of the accident seems to be the usage of improper equipment and the extent of the damage could have been limited by an efficient communication via the use of headsets or at least the proper hand signals. Takeoff gross weight: 49814 pounds. Tug was marked 'test for rj push' on the front of the hood.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ-200 WAS DAMAGED BY A BROKEN TOW BAR DURING PUSHBACK AT JFK WHEN THE PUSH CREW USED A BAGGAGE TUG AND NOT AN ACFT TUG.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS PARKED AT GATE IN JFK. BEFORE STARTING THE PUSHBACK; I REQUESTED HEADSETS FOR COM BUT WAS TOLD BY HAND SIGNALS THAT THEY WERE NOT AVAILABLE; AS IS USUALLY THE CASE IN JFK. PUSHBACK STARTED BY A STRAIGHT PUSH WHILE THE FO WAS CLR TO START ENG #1. ENG #2 WAS SPOOLING UP AS WE STARTED A 90 DEG TURN TO THE R. THE FO WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE ENG START AND THE TUG DISAPPEARED IN A DEAD ANGLE APPROX 45 DEGS TO THE R OF THE NOSE. THE PLANE WAS STOPPED THEN PULLED STRAIGHT FORWARD AT A PRETTY GOOD PACE. AT THE SAME MOMENT THE PUSHBACK FELT A LITTLE MORE 'SHAKY' AS IS THE CASE WITH NEW OPERATORS BUT NOTHING MORE. I THEN SAW THE WING WALKER RUSHING TO MY SIDE AND STARTING TO MAKE GESTURES BEFORE FINALLY XING THE WANDS. I THEN APPLIED THE BRAKES AND ASKED MY FO IF HE WAS SEEING SOMETHING ABNORMAL. WE THEN REALIZED THAT THE TOW BAR HAD SNAPPED ON US. THE PLANE WAS SECURED THEN I WENT OUTSIDE TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. I SAW THE TOW BAR BROKEN APPROX 2 FT AWAY FROM THE TUG END AND DISCOVERED THE R SIDE SCRATCHED BY THE TUG FROM 1 FT AFT OF THE ICE DETECTOR GAUGE TO 2 FT FORWARD OF THE FUEL PANEL CTL DOOR. I CALLED THE CHIEF PLT OFFICE IN CVG WHO DIRECTED ME TO MAINT CTL. WHILE WAITING FOR LCL MAINT; I MADE A PA EXPLAINING THE SITUATION. WHEN THE MECHS SHOWED UP; I WENT WITH THEM TO BE EDUCATED ON THE SITUATION. ONE OF THEM IMMEDIATELY POINTED OUT THE FACT THAT THE TUG USED WAS A BAGGAGE TUG AND NOT A PUSHBACK TUG AND; THEREFORE; WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE PROPER TOW BAR LOCKDOWN PIN. THE ONE USED WAS TOO THIN AND WAS ALLOWING THE TOW BAR TO TWIST; WHICH LOOKING AT THE REMAINS APPEARED TO HAVE CAUSED THE SHEAR. LOOKING MORE CAREFULLY AT THE DAMAGE ON THE SKIN THE MECH SHOWED AN AREA WHERE THE SKIN WAS PIERCED AND SEVERAL 'RIBS' BENT. A WRITE-UP WAS ENTERED IN THE BOOK AND FLT CTL DECIDED ON AN AIRPLANE SWAP WHICH WAS PROMPTLY PERFORMED. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT SEEMS TO BE THE USAGE OF IMPROPER EQUIP AND THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE COULD HAVE BEEN LIMITED BY AN EFFICIENT COM VIA THE USE OF HEADSETS OR AT LEAST THE PROPER HAND SIGNALS. TKOF GROSS WT: 49814 LBS. TUG WAS MARKED 'TEST FOR RJ PUSH' ON THE FRONT OF THE HOOD.

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.