Originally Posted by
FlyinHawaiian
Yes; it happens. Given the amount of strain the device is under and number of times its used, it's not totally extraordinary for one to break. It's also interesting to note that tow bars often vary by type of aircraft.
Take it from a retired ramp manager: They also break because the aircraft brakes are still engaged or someone forgot to lockout the nose wheel steering. Both of these scenarios are usually due to a lack of communication and result in a minor (internal) investigation to see where the failure was. As others have mentioned it also usually requires MX to have to inspect the nose wheel.