Date: 201907
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Flight phase: Parked
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Ramp; Vehicle Driver
Human factors: Other / Unknown
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Ground Personnel
When detected: Taxi
Result: Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Contributing factors: Procedure
Primary problem: Procedure

Narrative: My partner and I were dispatched to move Aircraft X that was at the east hangar at spot X. When we arrived we did our walk around and then I went to hook up the super tug to the aircraft. I lowered the cradle and moved the super tug onto the aircraft. I went to shut the gate and noticed on the camera in the super tug that the gate was not closing. I tried to open and shut it again to see if it will close. I had no success so I let my partner know that the super tug was not connecting to the aircraft. We called our supervisor to let them know that the super tug's gate was not closing onto the nose gear of the aircraft. Before shift we were briefed for spot X since we were always having trouble with this spot with all aircraft being parked there and super tugs getting stuck or cradle not closing we need to park aircraft on the right parking spot since we were asked by management to park aircraft pass aircraft parking spot due to this problem but the clearance on the aircraft wings and engines would not fit in the OSZ [Operational Safety Zone]. Also was stated by the supervisor that the morning supervisor said that the crews assign to bring up the aircraft will use a push tug and tow bar to move aircraft to hook up super tug and clear the dip that aircraft sits in. They were not going to fix the spot since the east hangar is about to go under construction and we don't know how long we will be using this spot. We were asked to hook up tow bar to the aircraft and pull aircraft forward more than six plus feet to make sure the super tug can connect to aircraft. This is still going against SOP for a mobile AC unit was stage just right outside the OSZ and risked getting hit when moving the aircraft forward pass the stopping mark for the parking spot. If we would have pushed the aircraft back; the right wing would be over the service road risking being hit by passing traffic and the tail would be hanging out of the OSZ. When waiting for a tow bar and push tug to move aircraft; we moved the super tug off the aircraft and my partner noticed that the super tug damaged the right tire of the nose gear from trying to hook up the super tug and the spot being on uneven pavement/ cement. It took a little chunk of tire off. The gate on the cradle was hitting the bottom of the tire and not going under the tire like it was supposed to. We called the Dispatcher as well notified the supervisor of the damaged tire. Tech ops asked us to tow it to the gate and will take a look at it at the gate.




Synopsis: Tow crew reported damage to the nose tire due to improper instructions from their supervisor and in violation of SOP's.