B767-300 CREW REPORTS TOW BAR SEPARATING FROM TUG DURING PUSHBACK DUE TO PIN NOT BEING INSTALLED BY DRIVER. AIRCRAFT IS STOPPED WITHOUT DAMAGE.

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AFTER A NORMAL PREFLT ON A TURN THROUGH ZZZ; WE ACCOMPLISHED THE PUSHBACK CHKLIST; AND I REQUESTED AND GOT CLRNC TO PUSH TAIL N FROM ZZZ RAMP TWR. CAPT RELAYED INFO TO PUSH PERSON IN TUG. I WAS ONLY MONITORING ATC AND DID NOT HAVE FLT INTERPHONE SELECTED. AS WE WERE PUSHING BACK; I SAID TO THE CAPT THAT IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE GOING MUCH FASTER THAN USUAL ON A PUSHBACK. AT THE SAME TIME HE QUICKLY APPLIED THE BRAKES AND STOPPED THE AIRPLANE. HE SAID THE TUG OPERATOR WAS SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS TO STOP THE AIRPLANE. THE CAPT MADE A PA AND CALLED ON THE SVC INTERPHONE TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO ENSURE NO ONE WAS HURT BY THE ABRUPT STOP. THE TUG OPERATOR SAID HE HAD NOT SECURED THE TOWBAR PROPERLY ONTO THE NOSE GEAR; AND THAT IT HAD BECOME SEPARATED. MAINT WAS WATCHING FROM THEIR SHED; CAME OUT IMMEDIATELY; AND DID A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR COORDINATING RUDDER AND TILLER MOVEMENT WITH THE CAPT. NO ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 810409: PUSHBACK STARTED NORMALLY UNTIL THE TUG DRIVER INSTRUCTED ME TO STOP! I DID; HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO PUT THE 'PIN' IN PLACE. MAINT CHKED THE FRONT GEAR AND CLR US TO CONTINUE.