DC10 CREW HIT A TUG WITH #3 ENG PARKING IN MIA.

Narrative

AFTER LNDG; WHILE ENTERING THE PARKING AREA; WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANY GND PERSONNEL TO GUIDE OUR PARKING. AS A RESULT; WE STOPPED THE AIRPLANE IN A PLACE WHERE FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS REQUIRED TO CONTINUE TO PARK THE ACFT. A FEW MINS LATER; A FORKLIFT APPEARED FLASHING ITS LIGHTS AND WE SUPPOSED THEY WERE TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING. THEN; A TOW TRUCK CAME CLOSE AND WE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH THE GND PERSONNEL WHO TOLD US THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE TOWED AND ASKED US TO SET UP THE PARKING BRAKES. WE DID SO AND THEN WE WERE ASKED TO RELEASE THE BRAKES TO START TOWING. AFTER THE PLANE MOVED BACK AND FORTH; THE GND PERSONNEL SAID; 'STAND BY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE PIN.' I COULD NOT ESTABLISH ANY FURTHER COM WITH HIM EVEN THOUGH I CALLED HIM ON THE INTERPHONE SEVERAL TIMES AND RECEIVED NO ANSWER. SOMETIME LATER; THE AIRPLANE STARTED MOVING AGAIN AND THEN IT STOPPED; AND WE DID NOT KNOW IF WE WERE BEING TOWED OR NOT. ALL OF A SUDDEN; WE HEARD 2 BANGING NOISES AND AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS; I RECEIVED 2 COMS ON THE INTERPHONE ADVISING ME THAT THE TOW TRUCK HAD HIT ENG #3 OF THE PLANE. CONSIDERATIONS: LACK OF COMS FROM GND TO COCKPIT. POOR COORD WITH ANY GND PERSONNEL. DISCUSS COMPANY AND PARKING PROCS WITH MGMNT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 605618: THE ACFT CONTINUED THE MOVE FORWARD AND SLIGHTLY TO THE R UNTIL A SLIGHT BUMP WAS FELT. AT THIS POINT; THE ACFT STOPPED MOVING. AT THIS TIME; THE ACFT MOVED SLOWLY FORWARD. A SECOND; STRONGER BUMP WAS FELT AND THE ACFT STOPPED MOVING. CAPT THEN RECEIVED A RADIO CALL FROM THE GND PERSONNEL INFORMING HIM THAT ENG #3 HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE TOWING VEHICLE.