Buddy, Can You Spare a Part?

Tow bars break periodically.  Of course, we all know that.  But the question I was asked the other day from an avid reader of this blog was, “How long should it take to replace a broken one?”  Seems he was on a flight out of FLL when the pilot announced that pushback had to be delayed because the towbar pin had broken.  Twenty minutes later the aircraft began its pushback from the gate.   It used to be that mechanics operated the tugs and when a towbar broke – most often the pin – someone usually just grabbed a spare from their pockets or the tug and replaced it.  A momentary pause in operations and the aircraft continued on its path.  Have we really gotten to the point where a broken pin delays an aircraft for twenty minutes?  (Fortunately it was Ft. Lauderdale; at JFK or EWR or any number of busier airports, a 20-minute delay might mean going from No. 1 for take off to No. 22, or worse.)   First of all, many towbar pins shear because operators are too rough when coupling the aircraft with the tug.  I’ve been on many, many aircraft that move and shake when the towbar is attached.  But we’ve talked at length about the need for operators to be more considerate of the equipment they use.   So knowing that operators are rough with the equipment and that towbar pins will shear, what are ramp supervisors doing to ensure that spare parts are readily available?  Seems that the cost of 20-minute delays are unacceptable for such an easily solved problem.