MD80 DURING PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE HAS THE TOW BAR BREAK. ACFT TAXIES FOR TKOF WITH BROKEN TOW BAR ATTACHED. ALERT CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE CALLS TWR AND NOTIFIES FLT CREW.

Date: 2006-01 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

MD80 DURING PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE HAS THE TOW BAR BREAK. ACFT TAXIES FOR TKOF WITH BROKEN TOW BAR ATTACHED. ALERT CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE CALLS TWR AND NOTIFIES FLT CREW.

Narrative

THE ACFT HAD BEEN SVCED; INCOMING PAX 2 BAGS OFFLOADED; OUTGOING PAX AND BAGS LOADED; ACFT FUELED; PUSHED BACK FROM THE JETWAY AND DEICED. ALL WAS PROCEEDING NORMALLY AS FAR AS I KNEW FROM THE INTERCOMPANY RADIO XMISSIONS I WAS HEARING. DEICING COMPLETE; THE ACFT CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC AND BEGAN TAXIING TO THE RWY. AS THE ACFT PASSED THE FBO; MY PHONE RANG. I WAS TOLD THAT THE LEAD RAMP AGENT HAD JUST INFORMED HER THAT THE TOW BAR HAD BROKEN DURING PUSHBACK AND A PIECE OF THE TOW BAR WAS STILL STUCK IN THE ACFT NOSE GEAR. THE RAMP PERSON HAD ASKED HER TO NOTIFY SOMEONE. THE WOMAN HAD PROMPTLY CALLED THE ACR DISPATCH OFFICE AND THEY HAD TOLD HER SHE NEEDED TO LET THE PLTS KNOW. SHE THEN CALLED ME 'SINCE I WAS THE ONLY PERSON SHE COULD THINK OF THAT WOULD KNOW HOW TO CONTACT THE PLTS.' AS I CONFIRMED WITH HER THAT SHE WAS TELLING ME THAT THE ACFT HAD A PIECE OF BROKEN TOW BAR LODGED IN ITS NOSE GEAR; THE PLT RADIOED TWR THAT HE WOULD BE READY UPON REACHING THE RWY AND THE TWR CLRED THE ACFT FOR TKOF. I WAS ALREADY LOOKING FOR THE TWR PHONE NUMBER AS I WAS SPEAKING; BUT I COULDN'T PUT MY HANDS ON THE NUMBER FAST ENOUGH. THE ACFT WAS ROLLING ONTO THE RWY WITH A KNOWN POTENTIAL FOR LNDG GEAR FAILURE AND THE PLTS DIDN'T KNOW IT. ALL I COULD THINK OF TO STOP THEM FROM TAKING OFF WAS TO MAKE A RADIO CALL ON THE ONLY FREQ I KNEW THEY WOULD BE LISTENING TO -- THE TWR. SO I TUNED IN THE TWR FREQ FROM MEMORY AND MADE THE FOLLOWING CALL; 'PEASE TWR; THIS IS XXX FOB; AND I HAVE AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR THE PLT'S OF ACR X. THE TOW BAR BROKE DURING PUSHBACK AND A PIECE OF IT IS STUCK IN THE NOSEWHEEL' (OR SOMETHING VERY CLOSE TO THAT). THE CTLR STATED; 'ACR X; DID YOU COPY THAT XMISSION?' THE PLT CONFIRMED AND THE TKOF WAS ABORTED. THE ACFT TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP AND WAS INSPECTED FOR TOW BAR DEBRIS. THE PIECE THAT HAD BEEN STUCK IN THE NOSE GEAR WAS GONE; PRESUMABLY IT FELL OUT DURING SOME POINT WHILE TAXIING. THE ACFT DEPARTED SAFELY.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.