EMB ERJ 140 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Procedure; Human Factors
Upon being towed in to gate at ZZZ; the tow in tug ran low on power (Low Battery). The ground crew instructed us to set the parking brake so they could go find a new tug. Once a new tug arrived; they had to pull the low power tug off of our aircraft. The aircraft was short of the gate area and had not completed the turn into the gate. The ground crew pulled the low battery tug and tried to hook up the new tug to the aircraft several minutes went by; they asked us to release the brakes and set them several times. Then the ground crew asked us to turn the steering on to straight the nose wheel. I asked how much it had to be turned they said just a little. I asked for them clear the tug and people from the nose gear. I was told it was clear and to turn it on. Hydraulics were turned on for the nose wheel steering and we attempted to straight the nose wheel. Nothing happened; hydraulics were then turned off. Ground crew said it did not work and we needed Maintenance to come help. I was asked to call local Maintenance. I called on the radio; Maintenance crew came out and proceeded to tell me the nose wheel was past 90 degree and that something might have broken. I relayed the story from before to the Maintenance personnel over the intercom. Several minutes went by the Maintenance personnel then informed me that we will have to deplane by air stairs because they were worried about the over turned nose wheel. I was instructed to make a write up in the Aircraft Maintenance Logbook for Maintenance; which was completed. The aircraft was deplaned by stairs and the bags were valeted to the passengers. Ground crew over turned nose wheel. Have ground crew be aware of nose wheel limits.
EMB-140 Captain reported ground crew over turned the nose wheel while using a tug.