MD80 FLT CREW INCURS DAMAGE TO ACFT DURING PUSHBACK AND NOTICES IT DURING POSTFLT.

Narrative

THE ACFT WAS CLRED FOR PUSHBACK FROM GATE TAIL S. COMS FLOW AND PROCS FOR THE PUSHBACK WERE ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDARD PROCS. DURING THE PUSHBACK ACFT MOVEMENT WAS STOPPED AND STARTED SEVERAL TIMES. AFTER GETTING THE L ENG ON LINE THE CAPT NOTED SOME NOISES COMING FROM THE NOSE GEAR AREA WHICH COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH DISCONNECTING THE TOW BAR. NO INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TUG DRIVER HAD BEEN RECEIVED TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE. NOT KNOWING IF THIS WAS A HESITATION IN THE PUSHBACK; OR IF THE TUG CREW WAS INDEED DISCONNECTING THE TOW BAR FROM THE ACFT; THE CAPT INITIATED A CALL TO THE TUG DRIVER. THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE RESPONSE; A PAUSE; THEN THE REPLY: 'YOU ARE ROLLING.' THE CAPT THEN IMMEDIATELY SET THE BRAKE. THE TUG DRIVER BACKED THE TUG AWAY FROM THE ACFT AND THE 2 GND HANDLERS CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE NOSE. THEY ALL INDICATED THEY WERE ALL RIGHT; DISPLAYED THE PIN; GAVE A HAND SALUTE AND PULLED AWAY FROM THE ACFT. BEFORE DEPARTING THE GATE AREA THE CAPT/FO RPTED TO THE RAMP CTL THE GND CREW HAD DISCONNECTED THE TOW BAR PREMATURELY; AND THE FLT CREW WOULD FILE A RPT. NORMAL TAXI; TKOF; LNDG AND TAXI TO GATE IN NEW ORLEANS. ON THE THROUGH FLT WALKAROUND THE FO DISCOVERED THE VALVE STEM ON THE R NOSE TIRE BENT AND PARTIALLY CRUSHED. MAINT WAS CALLED AND THE MECH RPTED THE R NOSE TIRE WAS FLAT. BOTH NOSE TIRES WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CHANGED AND THE FLT CREW AND ACFT CONTINUED ON SEQUENCE. THE COCKPIT CREW NEVER HAD ANY INDICATIONS OR REASON TO THINK THERE HAD BEEN ANY DAMAGE TO THE NOSE AREA AS A RESULT OF THE PUSHBACK AND PREMATURE DISCONNECT OF THE TOW BAR. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE R NOSEWHEEL AND THE DAMAGE TO THE VALVE STEM WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE SOME PART OF THE TOW BAR CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE VALVE STEM AS THE ACFT ROLLED. IT'S POSSIBLE WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET THE VALVE STEM AND ASSOCIATED DAMAGE WAS OBSCURED BY THE SPLASH GUARD AROUND THE NOSEWHEEL AND WAS THUS MISSED BY THE GND HANDLER. PICTURES OF THE NOSE TIRE AND ASSOCIATED DAMAGE WAS TAKEN BY THE NEW ORLEANS STATION PERSONNEL. WHEN THE TIRE WAS ACTUALLY FLAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL. HOWEVER; THE ACFT HANDLED NORMALLY WITH NO UNUSUAL PULL TO THE R OR L. THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL NOISES ASSOCIATED WITH TAXI; TKOF; LNDG ROLLOUT; OR TAXI TO THE GATE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THE LNDG AT NEW ORLEANS WAS ON RWY 10 WITH A HIGH SPD TXWY THAT FEEDS YOU ALMOST STRAIGHT INTO THE GATE. MINIMUM ACFT MANEUVERING WAS REQUIRED.