Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Equipment Issue
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Equipment / Tooling
Aircraft X was ready to push out of Gate XX; leaving ZZZ going to ZZZ1. Departure equipment check includes checking the towbar to ensure it is fully connected to aircraft Airbus 320.Push Driver; entered the pushtractor and instructed wingwalker to remove the nose landing gear chalks. Push Driver started the pushtractor and engine roar and everything turned on. As the Push Driver scanned; the runway and neighboring gates for push clearance; he communicated to flight deck 'Ready for push out and break release.'Flight deck responded 'Stand by'. Push Driver stood by; monitoring his area and his equipment and informed his wingwalkers to stand by for push. Seconds later; flight deck called 'Ready for push' and Push Driver replied 'Copy that. Pushing out' Push Driver flashed his wingwalkers with his headlights and told them 'Pushing out' Push Driver set the pushtractor to gear 'F3' and waited for the equipment to roll forward. Push Driver gently tapped on the gas to gain movement with the aircraft. Pushtractor and aircraft moved synchronously and sluggishly. Push Driver pressed on the gas a little harder to gain more momentum but all of a sudden; the pushtractor acted up and jumped and the towbar followed the jump. During that jump; Push Driver was shocked but readied himself for a possible breakaway. Push Driver let go of the gas to stop the pushtractor's misbehavior; but seconds later; towbar gave way. Push Driver immediately pressed on the break while watching the plane breakaway slowly. With quick reflex; Push Driver contacted the flight deck; yelling 'BREAKAWAY! BREAKAWAY! BREAKAWAY!' before the communication cable was about to break off. Communication cable stretched but never broke off and flight deck'replied brake set' Everything was stopped and supervisor who was watching the dispatch came to inspect everything. Push Driver set the brake and turned off the pushtractor. Dispatcher came out to inspect the damage with supervisors and others who saw the breakaway. Towbar had several bolts break off and the part where the towbar connects to the nose landing gear got bent but the latch that locks in the plane remained in the lock position. After Supervisor did their investigative duty; I was instructed to move the pushtractor out of the way for the plane to return to the gate. Another dispatch guided the plane to the correct stop mark so that Maintenance can inspect the damage on the nose landing gear. Maintenance informed us that the towbar connection piece was damaged and so the plane had to go out of service. Plane was offloaded and a new plane was used for Aircraft X.
Pushout Driver reported the tow bar pins broke and the tow bar damaged the aircraft's nose gear.