A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING LGT AFTER PUSHBACK WHEN BEING TOWED FORWARD THE TOW BAR BROKE ALLOWING THE ACFT TO ROLL FORWARD STRIKING THE TUG.

Narrative

ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK FROM GATE XX AFTER ENG START. COMS WERE ESTABLISHED WITH TUG DRIVER PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. AFTER PUSHBACK; TUG DRIVER STARTED A PULL FORWARD TO CLR THE TERMINAL AREA. AT THIS TIME A THUMP WAS HEARD AND FELT BY THE FLC. THE ACFT WAS STILL MOVING FORWARD AS NO COMMAND TO STOP HAD BEEN RECEIVED ON THE HEADSET. THE TAXI DIRECTOR IN FRONT OF THE ACFT SIGNALED STOP AND AS BRAKES WERE APPLIED; A SECOND THUMP WAS HEARD AND FELT AS THE ACFT IMPACTED THE NOW STOPPED TUG. TOW BAR HAD BROKEN ALLOWING THE ACFT TO CONTINUE FORWARD AND IMPACT TUG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 387698: THE TOW BAR PIN HAD FAILED AND THE TUG DRIVER HAD PANICKED AND STOPPED. THE TOW BAR BENT 90% AND THE ACFT CONTINUED ROLLING. THE TUG DRIVER WAS CONNECTED BY HEADSET BUT GAVE NO INDICATION OF DIFFICULTY AT ANY TIME. I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS DUE TO COMPLACENCY ON THE PART OF THE GND CREW. AS IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE TUG FROM INSIDE THE ACFT; GOOD COM IS IMPORTANT; BUT GND CREW RARELY SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE PROB.