Accident Embraer ERJ 190-100 LR (ERJ-190LR) F-HBLF,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 320543

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Date:	Saturday 19 April 2014
Time:	09:50
Type:	Embraer ERJ 190-100 LR (ERJ-190LR)
Owner/operator:	HOP!
Registration:	F-HBLF
MSN:	19000158
Year of manufacture:	2008
Engine model:	General Electric CF34-10E5
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 103
Aircraft damage:	Unknown, repaired
Category:	Accident
Location:	Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) - France
Phase:	Pushback / towing
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG)
Destination airport:	Clermont-Ferrand-Aulnat Airport (CFE/LFLC)
Investigating agency:	BEA
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
An Embraer ERJ-190LR (F-HBLF), operated by Régional on behalf of HOP!, was damaged when it struck a pushback truck at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, France.
The aircraft was parked at stand J10 at terminal 2G and was ready for a flight bound for Clermont-Ferrand Airport. The apron management services agent asked the flight to be pushed back facing east.
The crew of the airplane parked at J11 then also requested pushback. In order to allow this airplane to start its manoeuvre sooner, the apron management services agent then asked the crew of F-HBLF to be towed, with the assistance of a tug, after its pushback, facing south until abeam stand 12 at the end of their pushback.
During the pushback, the crew of F-HBLF started the airplane's two engines, which stabilised at ground idle. Following the pushback from J10, the airplane was on the axis specified in the documentation.
In order to position the airplane on the centreline of taxiway E7, the tug driver had to make the airplane make a turn of about 90° with a short turn radius. To do this, he positioned his tug at approximately 90° to the airplane axis. When the tug began to pull the aircraft, the safety cotter pins on the tow bar coupling head broke. The coupling head was then only connected to the tow bar by an axle around which it could pivot horizontally.
Under the effect of its inertia and the thrust of the two engines at idle, the aircraft continued to advance in a straight line. When the coupling head reached the stop, the airplane pivoted towards the right and collided with the tug.
This specific pushback and towing procedure was prohibited for stand J10 following two similar previous occurrences.

LESSONS LEARNED AND CONCLUSION:
The apron management services agent asked that the pushback be followed by a pull forward with the assistance of the tug, despite the ban in the apron management services operations manual on carrying out this manoeuvre on departure from stand J10.
The common use of this manoeuvre at the other stands and the absence of any explanation of the reasons for the ban at that specific stand likely led the apron management services agent to request a non-standard procedure.
The tug driver did not question the request from the apron management services agent and repeated by the crew of F-HBLF. The operating instructions in fact specify that the latter are "according to the instructions from ATC and validation by the aircraft captain".
In order to be able to pull the aeroplane, the driver had to set an excessive angle between the tow bar and the aeroplanes axis. The link between the tug and the aeroplane then broke. The aeroplanes inertia following its being moved and the thrust from its engines at idle made the aeroplane move forward, which led to the collision with the tug.
Following this event, the apron management services operations manual was modified to make clear the reasons for the ban.

Accident investigation: