No Aircraft
Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Distraction
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Vehicle
General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Human Factors; Procedure; Company Policy
At about XA:30am; I was working on the Ramp at ZZZ Maintenance Facility.  I was helping some mechanics with an engine change.   At the time; I had stepped away from the aircraft to attach a grounding cable to the grounding point on the Ramp.  At the same time; two other mechanics were attaching a pushback tractor to the engine stand they intended to use; about 40 feet away from me.  I was having trouble connecting the cable to the grounding stud; and while I was focusing on this I wasn't paying attention to the tractor.  Apparently the mechanics had hooked up the [engine] stand and were now towing it in reverse into position.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw the back end of the tractor at about the same time that it hit me.  I was knocked backwards and rolled on the ramp.  I wasn't sure if the tractor had stopped after it hit me; so I rolled out of its path to avoid being run over.   It took me awhile to clear my head and assess my injuries after I came to a stop; but eventually I came to the conclusion that aside from minor bumps and bruises including a bump on my head and a headache; I was more or less uninjured.
A Line Mechanic describes the chain of events that led to his being struck by an aircraft Tow Tractor while preparing for an engine change.