ITT-23-02-02

WORK INSTRUCTION
Issued: Apr/20/2011
Effectuation: May/02/2011
Push Back and Towing of Aircraft Revision 04

The English version of this document is based on the approved Portuguese version and its content
does not deviate from the content of the approved Portuguese version.

1 PUSH BACK INSTRUCTIONS

1.1 Responsibilities
Mechanic is responsible for assuring that push back occurs on a safety way complying with following steps:
• Brief about operation with tug driver;
• Connect the tow bar;
• Keep contact with the cockpit. In case of phone contact loss, mechanic shall communicate with
cockpit using visual communication.
Attention: Mechanics are prohibited to stay in the tug during the push back. It’s not
advisable to perform push back during strong storms because if the aircraft is reached by
electric discharge it can injury people in contact with it. Use the phones and consult crew!
The tug driver and mechanic are responsible for operation security.
1.2 Initial Inspection
Before start the push back, the mechanic shall follow the activities below:
Activity 1: Assure that tug and tow bar are ready to perform the operation.
Activity 2: Assure that cabin passenger doors, cargo doors, nose landing gears (NLG) and main landing
gears (MLG) doors and engines cowls are completely closed and locked.
Activity 3: Assure that there are no obstacles that obstruct the aircraft maneuvering.
Activity 4: Assure that there are no other aircraft in transit that may collide with the aircraft in push back.
Activity 5: Assure that there are no people, objects or equipments around the aircraft or in places that may be
ingested by the engines or thrown by the combustion gases (the danger zone by engine ingestion or the
combustion gases are detailed on each aircraft maintenance manual).
Activity 6: Assure that there are no unauthorized persons on the operational area.

1.3 Tow Bar Connection

The connection of tow bar on tug shall be performed only when there are no passengers landing or boarding
on the aircraft, to avoid putting at risk passengers or persons due to mechanical or operational failure.
The following activities shall be followed by the mechanic:
Activity 1: Neutralize the steering action according to aircraft maintenance manual.
Activity 2: Connect the tow bar (on the aircraft) with lock pin. Check if there is any shearing pin broken in the
tow bar because if there is it will be necessary to change it before the push back beginning.
Activity 3: Check the connection of tow bar into the tug, (if it is performed by ground handling personnel) or
mechanic shall stay closed to the tow bar and in front of the tug to lock the tow bar on the clutch, always alert
to avoid hitting the tow bar that may cause damages on the landing gears.

Validated by:
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Fabíola de Souza Leão / Procedures
 ITT-23-02-02
WORK INSTRUCTION
Issued: Apr/20/2011
Effectuation: May/02/2011
Push Back and Towing of Aircraft Revision 04

1.4 Push Back

The communication with the cockpit during the push back shall be performed in accordance with Ground
Staff / Cockpit Communication Card.
Attention: Before start the operation, the mechanic shall brief with the tug driver about the following aspects:
1. runway in use
2. aircraft weight: light or heavy, if this information is known
3. ground condition (wet/ contaminated)
4. if there will be any other aircraft maneuver at the same time
The speed limit for the operation is 05 km/h. The following activities shall be accomplished by the mechanic:
Activity 1: Check if tug is positioned in front of the aircraft and inform the crew of push back beginning.
Activity 2: Check the turn of aircraft assuring that tug does not exceed the maximum steering angle in order
to avoid damages on the nose landing gear (the maximum steering angle is defined by aircraft manual).
Activity 3: Assure that nose landing gear (NLG) tires are aligned with aircraft longitudinal axis.
Activity 4: Follow the tug driver giving instructions to him when necessary.
Activity 5: Confirm to crew that the push back is completed and ask for parking brake activation. After crew
confirmation, disconnect tow bar informing cockpit the exit side (left/right).
Attention 1: Just disconnect tow bar with the support tires on the ground.
Attention 2: Before confirming the authorization to start the second engine the Tow Bar shall be aligned with
aircraft axis.
Activity 6: Reactivate the steering action according to aircraft maintenance manual.
Activity 7: After operation conclusion show the red strip “remove before flight” to flight crew.
2 TOWING INSTRUCTIONS
2.1 Responsibilities
Mechanic is responsible for assuring that the towing operation occurs on a safety way.
The towing operation requires 3 employees.
One mechanic shall stay on the ground and is responsible for assuring the security of operation, for
establishing communication with the cockpit and for connecting the tow bar (in case of phone contact loss,
mechanic shall communicate with cockpit using visual communication).
Mechanic can follow operation inside the truck.
The second mechanic shall stay in the cockpit and is responsible for obtaining the operation authorization
with the control tower, for configuring the aircraft for the towing operation (check the aircraft RTA to assure
that none reported discrepancy can interfere on towing operation, ex: hydraulic pressure, external light, etc)
and for being in contact with the mechanic on the ground.
The third employee (mechanic or ground handling person) shall be available to drive tug to hangar as
described on Section 2.5, Activity 5. To perform this activity employee shall be qualified as described on
Section 2.2.
If APU is inoperative and operation with battery is not enough, the operation can be performed using one
engine; provided that the aircraft manual is being used and the operation is made by a qualified mechanic
(Section 2.2).

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 ITT-23-02-02
WORK INSTRUCTION
Issued: Apr/20/2011
Effectuation: May/02/2011
Push Back and Towing of Aircraft Revision 04

Attention: It’s not advisable to perform push back during strong storms because if the
aircraft is reached by electric discharge it can injury people in contact with it. Use the
phones and consult mechanic inside the cockpit!
2.2 Qualification
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
AIRCRAFT Courses
ACTIVITY License Experience
Initial Refreshment
A319 Human Factors (4)
Human Factors Refreshment
A320
(2)
A321 Ramp and Transit
Airframe
(1) A330 TAM Documentation Training
Aircraft Towing or NR (5)
A340 TAM Documentation Refreshment
Powerplant
B767 Training
B777
(3) Aircraft Training Refreshment
Aircraft Towing Operation
Human Factors
(2)
A319 Ramp and Transit Human Factors Refreshment
(4)

A320 Airframe
A321 or Engine Run – Up
(2)
4 years after TAM Documentation Training
A330 Powerplant (10) (11) (5)
Aircraft Towing with 1 engine on
(3) license Refreshment
A340 or
B767 Avionics TAM Documentation
B777 Training Aircraft Training Refreshment

(3)
Aircraft Towing Operation
(1) Mechanic shall be able to make contact with control tower and has knowledge on aircraft system being
able to energize it electric and hydraulically, turn lights on and if necessary stops aircraft in emergency
situations.
(2) Training on specific aircraft/engine combination
(3) Optional
(4) Every 24 months
(5) Every 36 months
2.3 Initial Inspection
Before start the towing operation, the mechanic shall:
Activity 1: Assure that the tug and tow bar are ready to perform the operation.
Activity 2: Assure that cabin passenger doors, cargo doors, nose landing gears (NLG) and main landing
gears (MLG) doors and engines cowls are completely closed and locked.
Activity 3: Assure that there are no obstacles that obstruct the aircraft maneuvering.
Activity 4: Assure that there are no other aircraft in transit that may collide with the aircraft in towing.
Activity 5: Assure that there are no people, objects or equipments on the maneuvering area.
Activity 6: Assure that there are no unauthorized persons on the operational area.
2.4 Tow Bar Connection
The following activities shall be followed by the mechanic:
Activity 1: Neutralize the steering action according to aircraft maintenance manual.
Activity 2: Connect the tow bar with lock pin. Check if there is any shearing pin broken because if this occurs
it will be necessary to change it.

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 ITT-23-02-02
WORK INSTRUCTION
Issued: Apr/20/2011
Effectuation: May/02/2011
Push Back and Towing of Aircraft Revision 04

Activity 3: Check the connection of tow bar into the tug, (if it is performed by ground handling personnel) or
mechanic shall stay closed to the tow bar and in front of the tug to lock the tow bar on the clutch, always alert
to avoid hitting the tow bar that may cause damages on the landing gears.
Note: If aircraft is being moved from the hangar to parking yard mechanic is responsible for tow bar
connection into the tug.

2.5 Towing
Before start towing the most qualified mechanic shall brief with the personnel involved in the operation,
defining the responsibilities and answering eventual doubts, and inform about:
1. aircraft origin and destination
2. the taxiway in use
3. meteorological conditions / wind limitation (if necessary)
4. if there will be any other aircraft maneuver at the same time
Attention: Every operation shall be done using headset connected to communication system and not only
with radio.
The mechanic in cockpit shall configure the aircraft for operation assuring that the aircraft does not have any
discrepancy that can interferes on it. After aircraft configuration, contact the control tower and ask for towing
authorization. When the aircraft is ready to start, contact the ground mechanic to authorize the towing.
The mechanic on the ground shall follow the activities below:
Activity 1: The maneuver can be done by the back clutch, reminding that the operator will not be able to see
the wings tip, so this obliges the mechanic to stay always in front of aircraft.
Note: to move aircraft in hangar the tug has to be positioned in front of the aircraft.
Activity 2: Assure that none support equipment (tools, light, manual, GPU, LPU, etc) has been left in any
aircraft compartment or is connected on it.
Activity 3: Check the turn of aircraft assuring that tug does not exceed the maximum steering angle in order
to avoid damages on the nose landing gear (the maximum steering angle is defined by aircraft maintenance
manual).
Activity 4: Assure that nose landing gear (NLG) tires are aligned with the aircraft longitudinal axis.
Activity 5: Follow the tug driver giving instructions to him when necessary.
Attention: If the aircraft is moving from parking yard to hangar, the tug operator should deliver the aircraft to
maintenance inside the hangar, being the maintenance responsible to move the aircraft in this area. So a
qualified mechanic shall be available in a determined point to assume the operation.
To move aircraft in hangar is required a wingman in each tip (maintenance crew). Reflective jacket is
required during day and night operations.
If the aircraft is moving from hangar to parking yard the maintenance should deliver the aircraft to ground
handling personnel next to hangar exit. Aircraft positioned inside hangar can also be moved by ground
handling personnel without the necessity of maintenance positioning the aircraft.
Activity 6: After towing conclusion, ground mechanic shall ask for parking brake activation and after cockpit
mechanic confirmation, disconnect tow bar.
Attention: Just disconnect the tow bar with the support tires on the ground and assure that nose landing
gear (NLG) tires are aligned with aircraft longitudinal axis.

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 ITT-23-02-02
WORK INSTRUCTION
Issued: Apr/20/2011
Effectuation: May/02/2011
Push Back and Towing of Aircraft Revision 04

Activity 7: Assure the aircraft is correctly chocked.

Activity 8: Assure that none support equipment (tools, light, manual, etc) has been left inside the aircraft.
3 REVISION LOG
Section Revision Date Description
1.1 04 May/02/2011 Excluded reference to BTA GEN-09-001 due to its cancelation.
1.2 04 May/02/2011 Excluded activity 7 – use of wing walkers.
1.3 04 May/02/2011 Activity 2: reinforced that “local” is aircraft.
1.3 04 May/02/2011 Activity 3: excluded obligation of ground handling personnel performs the connection of tow bar.
1.4 04 May/02/2011 Excluded reference of “s” maneuvering.
Excluded reference to BTA GEN-09-001 due to its cancelation.
Flexibility of mechanic or ground handling personnel conducts the truck.
2.1 04 May/02/2011
Allowance for mechanic follows the operation inside the truck.
Included procedure with one engine on.
2.2 04 May/02/2011 Included qualification for operation with one engine on.
2.4 04 May/02/2011 Activity 3: excluded obligation of ground handling personnel performs the connection of tow bar.
2.5 04 May/02/2011 Activity 5: detailed relation between maintenance and ground handling personnel.
- 03 06/30/2009 Issued revision 03.
- 02 01/30/2009 Issued revision 02.
- 01 09/15/2008 Issued revision 01.
- 00 04/30/2008 Issued revision 00.

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