B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Maintenance Technician 27
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Company Policy; Procedure
Aircraft X; a B767 aircraft; sustained very serious damage to the nose gear when Ramp [personnel] over-extended the [turning] limits [of nose gear] on pushback; resulting in a broken towbar. Ramp saluted the taxi crew off and did not report this until the taxi crew discovered they had no steering when they started to taxi away. This report is not about the B767 aircraft as much as it is about what has been uncovered in the aftermath of this incident. After Aircraft X sat on jacks in the hangar for a week; many Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) came forward with concerns that towbars were being broken daily at ZZZ during pushback by Ramp and not being reported; therefore nose gear inspections are not being carried out on these aircraft.  Upon further investigation it turns out that as of August 2013; 364 towbars have been broken at ZZZ.  Yet; only a very small number of incidents have been called in to Maintenance for an Aircraft Nose Gear Inspection. Talking to Ramp personnel regarding this issue; the answers varied from: 'If I report the broken towbar I will get in trouble'; to 'We are told unless the pilots have a problem it is ok'; to 'We tell our supervisor after the push.'  This is a very serious issue and 364 [towbars] in eight months is a staggering number. How many of those aircraft sustained damage and have not been inspected.  Per our Air Carrier's Ground Equipment Repair Shop; the broken towbars usually get called in [to the Shop] early in the morning or late at night and usually they are 'found' broken; i.e.; not called in by the person who actually damaged the towbar; which means no inspection was carried out on the [affected] aircraft. This is a very serious safety issue for our air carrier. Ramp personnel need to be properly trained on pushback and most importantly; if they oversteer [a nose gear] or break a towbar; it needs to be reported and called in so the aircraft can be properly inspected by Maintenance at the time of the incident and documentation of the inspection entered in the aircraft's records In Accordance With (IAW) the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM).
Reporter stated that Ramp personnel involved with the B767s pushback did hear a loud pop when they over-extended the nose gear turn limits; but never informed the taxi crew who were planning to taxi the aircraft to another terminal. When the taxi crew could not steer the aircraft; the B767 had to be pulled back into the gate; which is when the extensive damage to the Nose Landing Gear (NLG) linkages and steering actuators was discovered.Reporter stated he worked as a Ramp employee prior to going into Maintenance twenty-seven years earlier; so he does understand the ramp environment.  Some years ago during the transition from mechanics performing Receipt and Dispatch of aircraft at the gates to Ramp personnel performing the same task; his air carrier had dedicated and knowledgeable Ramp pushback crews who understood the seriousness of what a broken towbar could mean; and they would report a broken towbar incident to Maintenance. But now; most of the Ramp crews are considered trained enough to perform any pushback. The failure to immediately report that an aircraft requires Maintenance to inspect a nose gear prior to flight after a broken towbar incident; has involved Ramp employees who are experienced and some with less time. The feeling he's getting from Ramp personnel is: some don't care and do not take the incident seriously; others are afraid to report a broken towbar and subsequent possible departure delays and discipline and some who clearly do not understand how much damage can be done to the NLG when a towbar breaks. Reporter stated there are not many nose gear damage incidences with their larger aircraft because mechanics still move the larger aircraft using the Goldhofer Heavy tugs; which Ramp does not use. He asked mechanics at another large air carrier; where Ramp employees also do their pushbacks; and was told they don't have that many issues with broken towbars. Mechanics signing-off a Logbook and pilots performing a preflight would have no way of knowing that damage had occurred during pushbacks if a broken towbar incident is not reported and recorded.
An Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) reports that numerous towbars are broken daily during aircraft pushbacks by Ramp personnel and are seldom reported to Maintenance. As a result; Nose Gear Inspections are not being carried out on the affected aircraft. Ramp personnel cite concerns about 'getting in trouble if they report; or 'tell their Supervisor after aircraft has left'; or 'it's okay unless the pilot has a problem'.