A pushback tug struck the BE1900D's propeller the when the towbar broke during pushback.

Attributes
ACN	734409
Time
Date	200704
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	734409
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	734406
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : vehicle
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Called for pushback from gate. Ground control cleared for pushback. Gave the tug driver the thumbs up for push and brakes off hand signals. Tug driver began pushback procedure. After starting pushback and clearing the right wing; the tug driver cleared me to start #2 engine. We visually cleared right side and started the #2 engine. Tug driver straightened out the aircraft and began to move it forward then slowed and gave me the all clear to start #1 engine. Cleared the left side and began to start #1 engine. Then the tug made an unexpected left turn and broke the tow bar; spinning the tug into the left engine. I stopped the aircraft from moving and performed the propeller collision emergency procedures checklist to shut down the engines. The tug struck the propeller; breaking off the blades at the hub. Informed ground control on the problem; and waited to clear the cabin door before deplaning the passenger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PUSHBACK TUG STRUCK THE BE1900D'S PROP THE WHEN THE TOWBAR BROKE DURING PUSHBACK.

Narrative: CALLED FOR PUSHBACK FROM GATE. GND CTL CLRED FOR PUSHBACK. GAVE THE TUG DRIVER THE THUMBS UP FOR PUSH AND BRAKES OFF HAND SIGNALS. TUG DRIVER BEGAN PUSHBACK PROC. AFTER STARTING PUSHBACK AND CLRING THE R WING; THE TUG DRIVER CLRED ME TO START #2 ENG. WE VISUALLY CLRED R SIDE AND STARTED THE #2 ENG. TUG DRIVER STRAIGHTENED OUT THE ACFT AND BEGAN TO MOVE IT FORWARD THEN SLOWED AND GAVE ME THE ALL CLR TO START #1 ENG. CLRED THE L SIDE AND BEGAN TO START #1 ENG. THEN THE TUG MADE AN UNEXPECTED L TURN AND BROKE THE TOW BAR; SPINNING THE TUG INTO THE L ENG. I STOPPED THE ACFT FROM MOVING AND PERFORMED THE PROP COLLISION EMER PROCS CHKLIST TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. THE TUG STRUCK THE PROP; BREAKING OFF THE BLADES AT THE HUB. INFORMED GND CTL ON THE PROB; AND WAITED TO CLR THE CABIN DOOR BEFORE DEPLANING THE PAX.

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.