Narrative:

Reserve captain and first officer were assigned the duty of ferrying aircraft from ord to mke so that it could be put in revenue service as an originating flight the following morning. After both engines were started, captain signals ramp agent to disconnect the gpu and remove wheel chocks. During subsequent completion of the 'after-start checklist,' a sound was heard by both crew members accompanied by a mild shudder. Initially, both crew members thought that the tug towing gpu struck the aircraft while pulling away. Captain was first to realize that the aircraft was in motion and he then immediately applied the brakes. Parking brake was reset and engines were shut down. Company operations and maintenance were immediately notified. Aircraft was found to have sustained minor damage to radome and right forward fuselage. Both captain and first officer were unclr as to why parking brake handle was found to be in the released position after the engines were started despite being visually confirmed in the park position prior to engine start and as per 'after-start checklist.' after further investigation by both crew members, parking brake handle was found to have a tendency to stick near the park position without actually being engaged. This would have given the crew the impression that the parking brake was engaged even though it was not. This was the first time either crew member encountered this problem in this type aircraft. A contributing factor to this incident was the lack of nighttime visual cues which delayed the crew's reaction to the aircraft being in motion. Also, the use of an interphone system between the cockpit and ramp agents would have provided a direct means of communication perhaps preventing the incident. Such a system is installed in the aircraft, however, ramp service is not always provided with headsets and, therefore, communication resorts to hand signals only.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT ACFT BEGINS TO ROLL AFTER ENG START, STRIKES GPU WITH RESULTANT DAMAGE. BRAKES WERE NOT PROPERLY SET.

Narrative: RESERVE CAPT AND FO WERE ASSIGNED THE DUTY OF FERRYING ACFT FROM ORD TO MKE SO THAT IT COULD BE PUT IN REVENUE SVC AS AN ORIGINATING FLT THE FOLLOWING MORNING. AFTER BOTH ENGS WERE STARTED, CAPT SIGNALS RAMP AGENT TO DISCONNECT THE GPU AND REMOVE WHEEL CHOCKS. DURING SUBSEQUENT COMPLETION OF THE 'AFTER-START CHKLIST,' A SOUND WAS HEARD BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS ACCOMPANIED BY A MILD SHUDDER. INITIALLY, BOTH CREW MEMBERS THOUGHT THAT THE TUG TOWING GPU STRUCK THE ACFT WHILE PULLING AWAY. CAPT WAS FIRST TO REALIZE THAT THE ACFT WAS IN MOTION AND HE THEN IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES. PARKING BRAKE WAS RESET AND ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN. COMPANY OPS AND MAINT WERE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED. ACFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO RADOME AND R FORWARD FUSELAGE. BOTH CAPT AND FO WERE UNCLR AS TO WHY PARKING BRAKE HANDLE WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE RELEASED POS AFTER THE ENGS WERE STARTED DESPITE BEING VISUALLY CONFIRMED IN THE PARK POS PRIOR TO ENG START AND AS PER 'AFTER-START CHKLIST.' AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS, PARKING BRAKE HANDLE WAS FOUND TO HAVE A TENDENCY TO STICK NEAR THE PARK POS WITHOUT ACTUALLY BEING ENGAGED. THIS WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE CREW THE IMPRESSION THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ENGAGED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME EITHER CREW MEMBER ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM IN THIS TYPE ACFT. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS INCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF NIGHTTIME VISUAL CUES WHICH DELAYED THE CREW'S REACTION TO THE ACFT BEING IN MOTION. ALSO, THE USE OF AN INTERPHONE SYS BTWN THE COCKPIT AND RAMP AGENTS WOULD HAVE PROVIDED A DIRECT MEANS OF COM PERHAPS PREVENTING THE INCIDENT. SUCH A SYS IS INSTALLED IN THE ACFT, HOWEVER, RAMP SVC IS NOT ALWAYS PROVIDED WITH HEADSETS AND, THEREFORE, COM RESORTS TO HAND SIGNALS ONLY.

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.