B737-800
Maintenance Powerplant; Maintenance Airframe
Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Ground Event / Encounter Vehicle
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Returned To Gate; General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Aircraft; Procedure
On DATE Aircraft X was pushing off of gate. While removing the tug from the aircraft; the tug struck the R/H NLG door. A Ramp CSM came out to take a look at it; and told the flight crew that there was no damage and that the flight was safe to continue. The flight crew said that they felt a bump from the flight deck and wanted Maintenance to come out and look at it. The aircraft returned to the gate and Maintenance did a GVI and found that the push pull rod for the door retraction was bent and the aircraft would need to be removed from service. The flight continued on with a different aircraft and Aircraft X was repositioned to the hangar. During initial inspection at the hangar it was noticed that the push pull rod was actually broken and had separated from the door.The event occurred in my opinion because the ramp wanted to avoid a lengthy delay; and wanted an on time departure. The Ramp CSM's have done this in the past and obviously continue to do this now.Let Maintenance do the job we are trained to do.
Lead Technician reported ground damage that was misidentified by Ramp and CSM personnel was severe enough to remove the aircraft from service for repairs.