Narrative:

Flight designated priority placing emphasis for an on time departure. Pre-departure checklist was completed with all door lights out. Brakes were released at xa:30 mdt per gndman instructions and aircraft proceeded to be pushed from gate/jetway area. During pushback, a previous problem with an invalid vot test on #1 VOR was now testing properly with the aircraft away from the jetway area. It was suggested to my maintenance that the jetway was blocking reception of the test signal even though #2 VOR vot tested properly. We were cleared to start #3 engine during push back. We reached the desired ramp position and were instructed to set brakes by the gndman. Brakes were set and gndman notified of that fact. The gndman then stated tow bar removed, cleared to start #2, #1 engines. I observed the tug and tow bar returning to the gate area. I then told the first officer and second officer that we would start #2 engine only and taxi out on 2 engines to conserve fuel. During start of #2 engine, I cleared the gndman for disconnect. The gndman said, 'roger, disconnecting' then said 'wait, I'll standby we have more baggage coming.' I said roger. During preparation for taxi the gndman was under the aircraft on the headset but out of view. F/a knocked on the door, door was opened and she gave the final passenger count. After the door closed I gave the command for a pumps on and taxi. At that time I switched my radio to ATC frequency from previous ground intercom position. First officer called for taxi clearance, instructions were given, brakes were released and we moved forward approximately 1-2' contacting belt loader that is used to load baggage that was located at the forward cargo compartment. A softball size hole was produced in the fairing close to the right wing root. No personnel injury, no ground equipment damage but damage to the aircraft fairing with no structural damage to the aircraft or pressurization area. Second officer had returned his radio to the intercom position and heard the ground man command stop. I perceived a salute and release from guidance being received by earlier observing the tug and tow bar returning to the gate area. Distraction were present and normal patterns were broken. Last min baggage with subsequent forward cargo door light illuminated and second officer missing ths fact before turning on the hydraulic pumps. First officer not thoroughly clearing the right side before taxi. My subconscious desire to get the aircraft out on time for the 'priority' status. Corrective actions: check and rechk, be aware of distrs and take added precautions by slowing down procedures and checklists. If late arriving baggage and cargo compartments are to be reopened, place a wheel chock in front of the nose wheel to impede aircraft roll forward in the event brakes are released prematurely. Gndman take a position to the side of the aircraft on capts or first officer side in full view. Present headset cords are long enough to permit this. Add to the checklist just before 'brakes released' door lights out. Supplemental information from acn 156954. Failure of the crew to obtain a 'salute and release from guidance' from the mechanic. Strengthen procedures to rechk door annunciators prior to aircraft movement. Strengthen procedures to have both captain and first officer to visly sight mechanic during salute and release from guidance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT COLLIDES WITH LOADING RAMP DURING ATTEMPTED TAXI AS BAGS ARE BEING LOADED AFTER PUSHBACK.

Narrative: FLT DESIGNATED PRIORITY PLACING EMPHASIS FOR AN ON TIME DEP. PRE-DEP CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED WITH ALL DOOR LIGHTS OUT. BRAKES WERE RELEASED AT XA:30 MDT PER GNDMAN INSTRUCTIONS AND ACFT PROCEEDED TO BE PUSHED FROM GATE/JETWAY AREA. DURING PUSHBACK, A PREVIOUS PROB WITH AN INVALID VOT TEST ON #1 VOR WAS NOW TESTING PROPERLY WITH THE ACFT AWAY FROM THE JETWAY AREA. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO MY MAINT THAT THE JETWAY WAS BLOCKING RECEPTION OF THE TEST SIGNAL EVEN THOUGH #2 VOR VOT TESTED PROPERLY. WE WERE CLRED TO START #3 ENG DURING PUSH BACK. WE REACHED THE DESIRED RAMP POS AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO SET BRAKES BY THE GNDMAN. BRAKES WERE SET AND GNDMAN NOTIFIED OF THAT FACT. THE GNDMAN THEN STATED TOW BAR REMOVED, CLRED TO START #2, #1 ENGS. I OBSERVED THE TUG AND TOW BAR RETURNING TO THE GATE AREA. I THEN TOLD THE F/O AND S/O THAT WE WOULD START #2 ENG ONLY AND TAXI OUT ON 2 ENGS TO CONSERVE FUEL. DURING START OF #2 ENG, I CLRED THE GNDMAN FOR DISCONNECT. THE GNDMAN SAID, 'ROGER, DISCONNECTING' THEN SAID 'WAIT, I'LL STANDBY WE HAVE MORE BAGGAGE COMING.' I SAID ROGER. DURING PREPARATION FOR TAXI THE GNDMAN WAS UNDER THE ACFT ON THE HEADSET BUT OUT OF VIEW. F/A KNOCKED ON THE DOOR, DOOR WAS OPENED AND SHE GAVE THE FINAL PAX COUNT. AFTER THE DOOR CLOSED I GAVE THE COMMAND FOR A PUMPS ON AND TAXI. AT THAT TIME I SWITCHED MY RADIO TO ATC FREQ FROM PREVIOUS GND INTERCOM POS. F/O CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC, INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN, BRAKES WERE RELEASED AND WE MOVED FORWARD APPROX 1-2' CONTACTING BELT LOADER THAT IS USED TO LOAD BAGGAGE THAT WAS LOCATED AT THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT. A SOFTBALL SIZE HOLE WAS PRODUCED IN THE FAIRING CLOSE TO THE R WING ROOT. NO PERSONNEL INJURY, NO GND EQUIP DAMAGE BUT DAMAGE TO THE ACFT FAIRING WITH NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PRESSURIZATION AREA. S/O HAD RETURNED HIS RADIO TO THE INTERCOM POS AND HEARD THE GND MAN COMMAND STOP. I PERCEIVED A SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE BEING RECEIVED BY EARLIER OBSERVING THE TUG AND TOW BAR RETURNING TO THE GATE AREA. DISTR WERE PRESENT AND NORMAL PATTERNS WERE BROKEN. LAST MIN BAGGAGE WITH SUBSEQUENT FORWARD CARGO DOOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND S/O MISSING THS FACT BEFORE TURNING ON THE HYD PUMPS. F/O NOT THOROUGHLY CLRING THE R SIDE BEFORE TAXI. MY SUBCONSCIOUS DESIRE TO GET THE ACFT OUT ON TIME FOR THE 'PRIORITY' STATUS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: CHK AND RECHK, BE AWARE OF DISTRS AND TAKE ADDED PRECAUTIONS BY SLOWING DOWN PROCS AND CHKLISTS. IF LATE ARRIVING BAGGAGE AND CARGO COMPARTMENTS ARE TO BE REOPENED, PLACE A WHEEL CHOCK IN FRONT OF THE NOSE WHEEL TO IMPEDE ACFT ROLL FORWARD IN THE EVENT BRAKES ARE RELEASED PREMATURELY. GNDMAN TAKE A POS TO THE SIDE OF THE ACFT ON CAPTS OR F/O SIDE IN FULL VIEW. PRESENT HEADSET CORDS ARE LONG ENOUGH TO PERMIT THIS. ADD TO THE CHKLIST JUST BEFORE 'BRAKES RELEASED' DOOR LIGHTS OUT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 156954. FAILURE OF THE CREW TO OBTAIN A 'SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE' FROM THE MECH. STRENGTHEN PROCS TO RECHK DOOR ANNUNCIATORS PRIOR TO ACFT MOVEMENT. STRENGTHEN PROCS TO HAVE BOTH CAPT AND F/O TO VISLY SIGHT MECH DURING SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.