ACFT PUSHED WITH PARKING BRAKES ON. WHEEL DAMAGE.

Narrative

PUSHBACK FROM GATE GND CREW PUSHING THE ACFT WITH PARKING BRAKES SET. THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT PROPER COMS AND COORD WITH THE COCKPIT CREW AND OR COM BTWN GND CREWMEMBERS. THE RESULT WAS BOTH L MAIN WHEEL SEPARATION FROM STRUT AND LNDG GEAR DAMAGE. NO OTHER COLLATERAL DAMAGE OR INJURY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CONTRACT GND CREW BECAME CONFUSED AND LACKED COORD WITH THE COCKPIT. THEIR HEADSET CORD WAS TOO SHORT FOR THE TUG DRIVER'S USE; SO A WINGWALKER; ON THE CAPT'S SIDE; HAD THE HEADSET AND MIKE FOR COM TO COCKPIT. AS GND CREW PUSHED BACK; THEY GOT THE NOSEWHEEL AND TOW BAR CANTED ABOUT 80 DEGS TO THE R OF THE NOSE. THEY STOPPED AS ANOTHER ACFT TAXIED BEHIND THEIR ACFT. THE GND COM TOLD THE CAPT THEY WERE STOPPED; BUT WOULD HAVE TO STRAIGHTEN THE TOW BAR. CAPT RESPONDED THAT WAS OK AND THE BRAKES WERE SET. THEN; THEY STARTED PUSHING AGAIN; PIVOTING THE ACFT ON THE L GEAR ASSEMBLY. SKID MARKS SHOWED 9-10 FT PUSH WITH BRAKES SET. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR THEM TO STOP THE PUSH; BUT THE GND COORDINATOR SAID; 'WE ARE TRYING TO STRAIGHTEN THE NOSEWHEEL.' CAPT TRIED TO RELEASE THE BRAKES; BUT UNSUCCESSFULLY. EVENTUALLY; THE GND CREW SAW THE DAMAGE AS BOTH THE HUBS AND AXLES BROKE OFF THE L MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY. BOTH GND CREW COORDINATOR AND SUPVR WERE FIRED. THE ACR HAD EXTENSIVE FOLLOW-UP BECAUSE OF CONCERNS THAT THE FAILURE MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY METAL FATIGUE. IN COORD WITH DOUGLAS AND THEIR TECHNICAL OPS CTR; THEY MAGNAFLUXED THE GEAR ASSEMBLIES ON THEIR FLEET OF MD88'S. RPTR HAD EXTENSIVE POST INCIDENT DEBRIEFS WITH GND CREW; SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES AND THE CHIEF PLT.