Narrative:

On a single engine taxi to gate at detroit, during parking, it took 3-4 power applications to get on to the signalman's mark. The last few ft were on an incline to gate. As I can best recall, I set the brakes and received a chocks- in signal. After the parking checklist was completed, and upon moving my seat back to fill out the aircraft logbook, the brakes accidentally disengaged. Because of the lack of visual cues, darkness and poor illumination, I was not aware the aircraft had started rolling backwards, down the slope at gate. Apparently, the chocks had slipped on the slick ramp, or due to the incline the aircraft jumped the chocks. Therefore, right wing aileron assembly impacted a fuel truck behind the wing. The passenger service agents were motioning, and I noticed they were motioning and then realized we had moved backwards approximately 6 ft. I moved my seat forward and physically held the brakes, and opened my sliding window to ask if anyone was hurt. The external power had been connected but was loose so the first officer started the APU. The first indication I had that the aircraft had struck something was when a mechanic got on the interphone and told us. Apparently the first officer had felt a slight bump on the yoke when the aileron was struck. I remember asking the mechanic if everyone on the ramp was ok, or if there had been any fuel spilled, but the mechanic either did not hear or was off interphone. I then asked the first officer to go to the ramp to access the situation. When the mechanic came back, a few moments later, he said he planned on jacking up the right strut, and freeing the aircraft from the fuel truck, to limit the damage to the airplane. By this time the agents were deplaning passengers down the rear stairs. I made a logbook entry, and released the crew after all the passengers had deplaned. I think the ground crew were possibly put off guard also by the power and attempts to get the aircraft to the gate. I feel very badly that the incident occurred, but am gratified that there were no injuries. As the captain I feel I am responsible, but some circumstances like the slope, slippery ramp, and the chocks not holding were beyond what I control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED WHEN ACFT MOVES BACK FROM GATE AND IMPACTS ON FUEL TRUCK.

Narrative: ON A SINGLE ENG TAXI TO GATE AT DETROIT, DURING PARKING, IT TOOK 3-4 PWR APPLICATIONS TO GET ON TO THE SIGNALMAN'S MARK. THE LAST FEW FT WERE ON AN INCLINE TO GATE. AS I CAN BEST RECALL, I SET THE BRAKES AND RECEIVED A CHOCKS- IN SIGNAL. AFTER THE PARKING CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED, AND UPON MOVING MY SEAT BACK TO FILL OUT THE ACFT LOGBOOK, THE BRAKES ACCIDENTALLY DISENGAGED. BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF VISUAL CUES, DARKNESS AND POOR ILLUMINATION, I WAS NOT AWARE THE ACFT HAD STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS, DOWN THE SLOPE AT GATE. APPARENTLY, THE CHOCKS HAD SLIPPED ON THE SLICK RAMP, OR DUE TO THE INCLINE THE ACFT JUMPED THE CHOCKS. THEREFORE, R WING AILERON ASSEMBLY IMPACTED A FUEL TRUCK BEHIND THE WING. THE PAX SVC AGENTS WERE MOTIONING, AND I NOTICED THEY WERE MOTIONING AND THEN REALIZED WE HAD MOVED BACKWARDS APPROX 6 FT. I MOVED MY SEAT FORWARD AND PHYSICALLY HELD THE BRAKES, AND OPENED MY SLIDING WINDOW TO ASK IF ANYONE WAS HURT. THE EXTERNAL PWR HAD BEEN CONNECTED BUT WAS LOOSE SO THE FO STARTED THE APU. THE FIRST INDICATION I HAD THAT THE ACFT HAD STRUCK SOMETHING WAS WHEN A MECH GOT ON THE INTERPHONE AND TOLD US. APPARENTLY THE FO HAD FELT A SLIGHT BUMP ON THE YOKE WHEN THE AILERON WAS STRUCK. I REMEMBER ASKING THE MECH IF EVERYONE ON THE RAMP WAS OK, OR IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY FUEL SPILLED, BUT THE MECH EITHER DID NOT HEAR OR WAS OFF INTERPHONE. I THEN ASKED THE FO TO GO TO THE RAMP TO ACCESS THE SITUATION. WHEN THE MECH CAME BACK, A FEW MOMENTS LATER, HE SAID HE PLANNED ON JACKING UP THE R STRUT, AND FREEING THE ACFT FROM THE FUEL TRUCK, TO LIMIT THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. BY THIS TIME THE AGENTS WERE DEPLANING PAXS DOWN THE REAR STAIRS. I MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY, AND RELEASED THE CREW AFTER ALL THE PAXS HAD DEPLANED. I THINK THE GND CREW WERE POSSIBLY PUT OFF GUARD ALSO BY THE PWR AND ATTEMPTS TO GET THE ACFT TO THE GATE. I FEEL VERY BADLY THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED, BUT AM GRATIFIED THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. AS THE CAPT I FEEL I AM RESPONSIBLE, BUT SOME CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THE SLOPE, SLIPPERY RAMP, AND THE CHOCKS NOT HOLDING WERE BEYOND WHAT I CTL.

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.