A320 is damaged after pushback when ground crew failed to alert flight crew to set brakes. Aircraft ...

Attributes
ACN	744130
Time
Date	200706
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	744130
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	743994
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : vehicle ground encounters other non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We initiated the pushback process using the current verbiage. After beginning the push we were cleared to start both engines by the tug driver. We began the left engine start during the push. As the left engine was starting we observed a belt loader with several bags approaching the aircraft. The captain asked the tug driver if they were planning to load late bags out on the ramp and he replied that they were. The captain then indicated that we would not start the right engine; and relayed this information to the tug driver. The tug driver pushed the aircraft to the proper spot; but cocked off slightly to the side. We thought nothing of it when the aircraft started moving forward; as we assumed the tug driver was repositioning us; and in the absence of any further communication. Shortly after motion forward we heard and felt several loud jolts; and indicated between us that it was unusual; and wondered if the tug driver would damage the nose gear. The jolts subsided for a few seconds and then returned. At that time the tug driver told us urgently to 'set brakes;' and simultaneously a ramp service man ran out from the right side of the aircraft and gave us an emergency stop signal. Both of us hit the toe brakes and the captain set the parking brake. As we found out later; the push crew had disconnected the tow bar and started backing the tug without giving us the command to set the brakes. As the tug backed; the aircraft followed it due to left engine idle thrust. The nose gear rolled over the tow bar and the right engine cowl contacted the belt loader which had been positioned to the forward cargo bin. Luckily; there were no injuries. During a short debrief; the tug driver indicated that he had forgotten to give the signal to set the brakes. I am not sure if pushback training includes guidance to xchk the parking brake on the nose gear.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 IS DAMAGED AFTER PUSHBACK WHEN GND CREW FAILED TO ALERT FLT CREW TO SET BRAKES. ACFT ROLLED OVER TOW BAR AND RIGHT ENG CONTACTED BELT LOADER.

Narrative: WE INITIATED THE PUSHBACK PROCESS USING THE CURRENT VERBIAGE. AFTER BEGINNING THE PUSH WE WERE CLRED TO START BOTH ENGS BY THE TUG DRIVER. WE BEGAN THE L ENG START DURING THE PUSH. AS THE L ENG WAS STARTING WE OBSERVED A BELT LOADER WITH SEVERAL BAGS APCHING THE ACFT. THE CAPT ASKED THE TUG DRIVER IF THEY WERE PLANNING TO LOAD LATE BAGS OUT ON THE RAMP AND HE REPLIED THAT THEY WERE. THE CAPT THEN INDICATED THAT WE WOULD NOT START THE R ENG; AND RELAYED THIS INFO TO THE TUG DRIVER. THE TUG DRIVER PUSHED THE ACFT TO THE PROPER SPOT; BUT COCKED OFF SLIGHTLY TO THE SIDE. WE THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT WHEN THE ACFT STARTED MOVING FORWARD; AS WE ASSUMED THE TUG DRIVER WAS REPOSITIONING US; AND IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY FURTHER COM. SHORTLY AFTER MOTION FORWARD WE HEARD AND FELT SEVERAL LOUD JOLTS; AND INDICATED BTWN US THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL; AND WONDERED IF THE TUG DRIVER WOULD DAMAGE THE NOSE GEAR. THE JOLTS SUBSIDED FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN RETURNED. AT THAT TIME THE TUG DRIVER TOLD US URGENTLY TO 'SET BRAKES;' AND SIMULTANEOUSLY A RAMP SVC MAN RAN OUT FROM THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT AND GAVE US AN EMER STOP SIGNAL. BOTH OF US HIT THE TOE BRAKES AND THE CAPT SET THE PARKING BRAKE. AS WE FOUND OUT LATER; THE PUSH CREW HAD DISCONNECTED THE TOW BAR AND STARTED BACKING THE TUG WITHOUT GIVING US THE COMMAND TO SET THE BRAKES. AS THE TUG BACKED; THE ACFT FOLLOWED IT DUE TO L ENG IDLE THRUST. THE NOSE GEAR ROLLED OVER THE TOW BAR AND THE R ENG COWL CONTACTED THE BELT LOADER WHICH HAD BEEN POSITIONED TO THE FORWARD CARGO BIN. LUCKILY; THERE WERE NO INJURIES. DURING A SHORT DEBRIEF; THE TUG DRIVER INDICATED THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO GIVE THE SIGNAL TO SET THE BRAKES. I AM NOT SURE IF PUSHBACK TRAINING INCLUDES GUIDANCE TO XCHK THE PARKING BRAKE ON THE NOSE GEAR.

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.

A320 is damaged after pushback when ground crew failed to alert flight crew to set brakes. Aircraft rolled over tow bar and right engine contacted belt loader.