A ground crew completed a CL65 push back; disconnected the tug from the tow bar but not the aircraft...

Attributes
ACN	766566
Time
Date	200712
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	766566
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

The crew had been sitting at the airport for 12 hours waiting for ZZZ WX to get better so a ground stop would be lifted and we could operate our flight. The pushback was normal; the second engine was starting. I heard a metallic noise and looked out the windshield. It looked like the tug and aircraft were moving closer together. I said stop; stop; and by that time we ran into the tug; the nose cone pushing out the tug windshield. Ground control; dispatch; maintenance; flight attendant; and passenger were all notified and kept up to date with what had happened. The tow bar had lodged itself under the tug while still being attached to the nosewheel. The gear pins were installed; the 5 passenger were deplaned and escorted back to the terminal. Contract maintenance arrived. The tow bar was disconnected; nose cone inspected and no other damage was evident. We were towed back to the gate. Normally; the push crew will call 'pushback complete; set brakes;' the captain would reply 'brakes on.' then they will indicate the tow bar disconnect and torque links connected. Nothing was said. As the push ended; the ground personnel disconnected the tow bar without the command to. The tug driver indicated that the other ground crew had pulled the tow bar pin prematurely. The following day our crew operated a flight with that airplane with a new nose cone. Complacency had a part in this as pushback is a routine; stressless event. However; as this incident shows; this is no time to relax one's awareness when you depend on others to do their job correctly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GND CREW COMPLETED A CL65 PUSH BACK; DISCONNECTED THE TUG FROM THE TOW BAR BUT NOT THE ACFT. THE FLT CREW WAS NOT NOTIFIED TO SET BRAKES. THE ACFT NOSE CONE CONTACTED THE TUG AS IT ROLLED FREELY.

Narrative: THE CREW HAD BEEN SITTING AT THE ARPT FOR 12 HRS WAITING FOR ZZZ WX TO GET BETTER SO A GND STOP WOULD BE LIFTED AND WE COULD OPERATE OUR FLT. THE PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL; THE SECOND ENG WAS STARTING. I HEARD A METALLIC NOISE AND LOOKED OUT THE WINDSHIELD. IT LOOKED LIKE THE TUG AND ACFT WERE MOVING CLOSER TOGETHER. I SAID STOP; STOP; AND BY THAT TIME WE RAN INTO THE TUG; THE NOSE CONE PUSHING OUT THE TUG WINDSHIELD. GND CTL; DISPATCH; MAINT; FLT ATTENDANT; AND PAX WERE ALL NOTIFIED AND KEPT UP TO DATE WITH WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE TOW BAR HAD LODGED ITSELF UNDER THE TUG WHILE STILL BEING ATTACHED TO THE NOSEWHEEL. THE GEAR PINS WERE INSTALLED; THE 5 PAX WERE DEPLANED AND ESCORTED BACK TO THE TERMINAL. CONTRACT MAINT ARRIVED. THE TOW BAR WAS DISCONNECTED; NOSE CONE INSPECTED AND NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT. WE WERE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. NORMALLY; THE PUSH CREW WILL CALL 'PUSHBACK COMPLETE; SET BRAKES;' THE CAPT WOULD REPLY 'BRAKES ON.' THEN THEY WILL INDICATE THE TOW BAR DISCONNECT AND TORQUE LINKS CONNECTED. NOTHING WAS SAID. AS THE PUSH ENDED; THE GND PERSONNEL DISCONNECTED THE TOW BAR WITHOUT THE COMMAND TO. THE TUG DRIVER INDICATED THAT THE OTHER GND CREW HAD PULLED THE TOW BAR PIN PREMATURELY. THE FOLLOWING DAY OUR CREW OPERATED A FLT WITH THAT AIRPLANE WITH A NEW NOSE CONE. COMPLACENCY HAD A PART IN THIS AS PUSHBACK IS A ROUTINE; STRESSLESS EVENT. HOWEVER; AS THIS INCIDENT SHOWS; THIS IS NO TIME TO RELAX ONE'S AWARENESS WHEN YOU DEPEND ON OTHERS TO DO THEIR JOB CORRECTLY.

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.

A ground crew completed a CL65 push back; disconnected the tug from the tow bar but not the aircraft. The flight crew was not notified to set brakes. The aircraft nose cone contacted the tug as it rolled freely.