AN ACR CREW DESCRIBED HOW A TUG DRIVER PUSHED THEIR MD-S80 INTO A CATERING TRUCK.

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THE CAPT AND I COMPLETED THE 'BEFORE STARTING ENGS' CHKLIST IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE CABIN READY RPT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT. AT XA04Z; THE PUSH CREW DRIVER IN THE TUG CONTACTED US STATING ALL HIS GND CHKS WERE COMPLETE AND HE WAS STANDING BY FOR OUR BRAKE RELEASE. AT XA05Z WE REQUESTED PUSHBACK CLRNC FROM ORD RAMP AND WERE TOLD TO HOLD THE PUSH. AT XA09Z; CLRNC FROM THE RAMP CTLR WAS RECEIVED; CLRING US TO PUSH. THE CAPT RELEASED THE BRAKES AND HE ANNOUNCED TO THE TUG DRIVER 'BRAKES RELEASE; CLRED TO PUSH.' THE TUG DRIVER PUSHED US WHAT SEEMED TO BE JUST A COUPLE OF FT AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED. AFTER STOPPING; THE TUG DRIVER SAID A CATERING TRUCK WAS IN THE WAY. WE CANCELED OUR PUSH CLRNC WITH ORD RAMP. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED. IT WAS THEN THE TUG DRIVER CALLED US AND ANNOUNCED HE PUSHED OUR L WING INTO THE CATERING TRUCK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 481080: AFTER COMPLETING THE BEFORE ENG START CHKLIST AND RECEIVING THE CABIN READY RPT FROM THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT; I WAS TOLD BY THE GND CREW THAT THEY WERE ALL SECURE BELOW AND TO CALL FOR PUSHBACK. THE FO CALLED THE RAMP TWR AND REQUESTED PUSHBACK. WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD FOR TFC IN THE ALLEY. AFTER ABOUT 1 MIN; WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR PUSHBACK. I TOLD THE TUG DRIVER THAT BRAKES WERE RELEASED; CLRED TO PUSH. AFTER ONLY A COUPLE OF FT; HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A CATERING TRUCK IN OUR WAY. THE FO THEN CALLED THE RAMP TWR AND TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD STOPPED THE PUSH. I NOTICED THAT THE TUG DRIVER HAD LEFT THE TUG. WHEN HE RETURNED HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD HIT THE CATERING TRUCK. WHEN MAINT ARRIVED; I WENT OUTSIDE TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE TO THE L WING. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OTS.