Narrative:

During pushback; the pushback crew failed to follow standard procedures; and this failure potentially could have injured a pushback crew member and/or damaged the airplane. The pushback began normally with standard callouts. The tug stopped at the normal position; but I received no 'set brakes' callout. After a few seconds; I heard noises typical of tow bar disconnection; so I asked if I should set the brakes. I received no intelligible reply; but continued to hear and feel indications that the tow bar was in fact being disconnected. I then set the parking brake and inquired again. Again; I received no reply; but then observed the tug driver running to a nearby gate. Shortly she returned with 2 additional ground personnel; and only then did she tell me that the airplane had in fact rolled forward slightly and trapped her companion's foot with the nosewheel. The additional personnel reattached the tow bar and then the driver asked me to release the parking brake. I did so; we were pushed back just a few inches; and then I reset the parking brake. I asked the tug driver if her companion was injured and she replied that he seemed to be fine. Presumably; he was wearing some form of heavy-duty footwear that had not been deformed by the nosewheel. After being assured that there was no injury; I cleared the driver to disconnect; and then observed all 3 additional personnel walking away from the airplane in a normal manner. (Nobody was limping.) since there seemed to be no injury; I saw no reason to return to the gate. I'm afraid the tug driver has to take the responsibility for this one; and I advised her that I would have to file a report. But if I had to do it again. I would have set the parking brake sooner. It is obvious that this breakdown of SOP could have potentially caused injury to personnel or damage to equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PUSHBACK CREW INVOLVED WITH AN A320 PUSHBACK FAILED TO FOLLOW COMPANY PROCEDURE. THIS RESULTED IN A NOSEWHEEL RUNNING OVER THE FOOT OF A GND WORKER.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK; THE PUSHBACK CREW FAILED TO FOLLOW STANDARD PROCS; AND THIS FAILURE POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE INJURED A PUSHBACK CREW MEMBER AND/OR DAMAGED THE AIRPLANE. THE PUSHBACK BEGAN NORMALLY WITH STANDARD CALLOUTS. THE TUG STOPPED AT THE NORMAL POS; BUT I RECEIVED NO 'SET BRAKES' CALLOUT. AFTER A FEW SECONDS; I HEARD NOISES TYPICAL OF TOW BAR DISCONNECTION; SO I ASKED IF I SHOULD SET THE BRAKES. I RECEIVED NO INTELLIGIBLE REPLY; BUT CONTINUED TO HEAR AND FEEL INDICATIONS THAT THE TOW BAR WAS IN FACT BEING DISCONNECTED. I THEN SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND INQUIRED AGAIN. AGAIN; I RECEIVED NO REPLY; BUT THEN OBSERVED THE TUG DRIVER RUNNING TO A NEARBY GATE. SHORTLY SHE RETURNED WITH 2 ADDITIONAL GND PERSONNEL; AND ONLY THEN DID SHE TELL ME THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD IN FACT ROLLED FORWARD SLIGHTLY AND TRAPPED HER COMPANION'S FOOT WITH THE NOSEWHEEL. THE ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL REATTACHED THE TOW BAR AND THEN THE DRIVER ASKED ME TO RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE. I DID SO; WE WERE PUSHED BACK JUST A FEW INCHES; AND THEN I RESET THE PARKING BRAKE. I ASKED THE TUG DRIVER IF HER COMPANION WAS INJURED AND SHE REPLIED THAT HE SEEMED TO BE FINE. PRESUMABLY; HE WAS WEARING SOME FORM OF HVY-DUTY FOOTWEAR THAT HAD NOT BEEN DEFORMED BY THE NOSEWHEEL. AFTER BEING ASSURED THAT THERE WAS NO INJURY; I CLRED THE DRIVER TO DISCONNECT; AND THEN OBSERVED ALL 3 ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL WALKING AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE IN A NORMAL MANNER. (NOBODY WAS LIMPING.) SINCE THERE SEEMED TO BE NO INJURY; I SAW NO REASON TO RETURN TO THE GATE. I'M AFRAID THE TUG DRIVER HAS TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ONE; AND I ADVISED HER THAT I WOULD HAVE TO FILE A RPT. BUT IF I HAD TO DO IT AGAIN. I WOULD HAVE SET THE PARKING BRAKE SOONER. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS BREAKDOWN OF SOP COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY CAUSED INJURY TO PERSONNEL OR DAMAGE TO EQUIP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.