A320
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Returned To Gate; General Maintenance Action
Equipment / Tooling; Human Factors
First Officer got push clearance from Ramp to push to the T and repeated to me cleared to push to the T. I told tug driver; 'Brakes released cleared to push to the T.' The aircraft started moving backwards. We had not pushed very far; just a few feet when a panicked tug driver started saying I have lost the brakes; I have lost the brakes. I started asking him do you want me to set the brakes? After asking three times; and not getting a reply; I applied brakes to stop the aircraft and set the brakes. I told the tug driver; the brakes are set. He did not talk to us for what seemed like a minute or two. He finally said set the brakes and I repeated brakes set. At this point I could see part of the tug out of my window. I told him I would need to talk to Maintenance. Maintenance then took over communication from the tug. Maintenance disconnected the tow bar and tug. With a new tug and tow bar we were pulled back to the gate.
After receiving cabin ready notification; I requested a push clearance from Ramp Control; which they cleared us to the 'T'. Captain asked via interphone if crew was ready for pushback; tug driver responded that they were. Captain then stated 'Brakes released; cleared to push to the 'T'.' we started rearward motion; then within a second or two; the Captain and the tug driver were conversing; the tug driver was stating that his brakes weren't working. Captain then asked if he wanted brakes set; which he had to repeat multiple times before he got an okay from the tug driver. It was at that time; we got a violent jolt because the tow bar broke. The Captain then set the brake as the airplane came to a rest.
A320 flight crew reports a brake failure on the tug pushing them back from gate as indicated by the tug driver. Aircraft brakes are applied but not before a violent jolt is felt and the tow bar breaks. The aircraft is towed back to the gate by a different tug for maintenance.