AN EMB145 AFTER PUSHBACK AND ENG START; PARKING BRAKE SET AND CREW COMMAND TO DISCONNECT WAS GIVEN. THE TUG PULLED THE NOSE GEAR; COLLAPSING IT AND INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR AND TOW BAR.

Narrative

INCIDENT OCCURRED ON GND AFTER PUSHBACK AND PARKING BRAKE SET. PARKING BRAKE SET AND DISCONNECT COMMAND GIVEN. GND CREW ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT OF DISCONNECT COMMAND. A JOLT WAS FELT AND ACFT NOSE SETTLED TO THE GND; ACCOMPANIED BY AURAL LNDG GEAR WARNING AND 1-G DISAGREE EICAS MESSAGE. PAX WERE DEPLANED THROUGH NORMAL CABIN DOOR. DISCONNECT COMMAND WAS GIVEN AND RECEIVED BY GND CREW AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TRANSPIRED AFTER THAT WITH WHAT THEY WERE DOING THAT CAUSED THE GEAR TO COLLAPSE. IT WAS FAIRLY OBVIOUS THAT THE NOSE HAD SETTLED MORE THAN IS NORMAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PUSHBACK HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND ENGS STARTED. THE GND CREW WAS ADVISED THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET AND OK TO DISCONNECT COMMAND WAS GIVEN AND RECEIVED BY THE CREW. THE TUG MOVED FORWARD AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE RPT GIVEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT WAS THE TOW BAR WAS DIFFICULT TO DISCONNECT AND THE TUG WAS GOING TO MOVE SLIGHTLY TO ALLOW DISCONNECT; BUT THE TUG DRIVER'S FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE AND STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR; COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR. THE COM BTWN THE GND CREW AND THE COCKPIT WAS NORMAL IN ALL RESPECTS AND WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT.