ACFT HIT TUG AFTER ENG START.

Narrative

PRIOR TO PUSHBACK THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY IN ESTABLISHING COMS WITH THE PUSH CREW. I FINALLY RESORTED TO THE HAND MIKE TO GET ADEQUATE CONTACT; ALTHOUGH IT WAS STILL MARGINAL WHEN WE COMMENCED PUSHBACK. I WAS HEARING AN INTERMITTENT HOT MIKE WITH SCRATCHY LOW VOLUME AUDIO ON THE INTERPHONE. GND CTL ADVISED MY FO TO PUSH THE ACFT OUT OF THE ALLEY AND ON TO TXWY A AND PULL UP BEHIND X. MY FO QUESTIONED THESE NON-STANDARD GND CTL INSTRUCTIONS JUST AS I BRIEFLY LOST CONTACT WITH OUR PUSH CREW. HE ADVISED GND THAT WE COULD NOT COMPLY AND THEN COMS WERE REESTABLISHED AND THE INSTRUCTIONS RELAYED. FORWARD MOVEMENT STOPPED ABEAM THE GATES ON TXWY A AND AS I HAD NOT HEARD A CLRNC TO START ENGS UP TO THIS POINT; WHICH WAS WELL PAST OUR NORMAL START AREA; I ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED TO START. THE PUSH CREW ADVISED WE WERE CLRED TO START AND WE STARTED BOTH ENGS. AFTER STARTING THE SECOND ENG; I ADVISED THE PUSH CREW THAT THEY WERE CLR TO DISCONNECT THEIR INTERPHONE. I THEN OBSERVED THE TUG APCHING THE ACFT AND STATED THAT THE TUG WAS GOING TO HIT US. NO FEELING OF MOVEMENT OR DECELERATION WAS FELT AS WE HEARD THE 2 VEHICLES CONTACT FOR A FEW MOMENTS. AT THIS POINT; I REMAIN CONVINCED THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT MOVING.