Narrative:

On parking aircraft, parking brake was not fully set (mechanism works much like that on a car. There are multiple 'clicks' as you engage the parking brake. The more clicks, the more the parking brake grabs the wheels). Engines were shut down and I looked down to grab the checklist to perform the shutdown check. When I looked up, the aircraft was moving backwards! I immediately applied the foot brakes (my feet hadn't even left the pedals yet) and stopped the aircraft. I promptly reset the parking brake. The aircraft had moved approximately 10 ft back and unfortunately ran into a baggage cart. The aircraft suffered only cosmetic damage to a fiberglass flap hinge fairing. Our company's maintenance control was notified as was management. All parties agreed that it was not necessary to have the aircraft inspected. The cart suffered minor damage as well. I have absolutely no idea why the parking brake was not fully set. I am careful to set the parking brake and pull it very slowly because, if the aircraft is still moving when it is set, it will lock up the wheels and stop the plane very abruptly. I believe I probably brought the aircraft to a stop with the toe brakes and then assumed that the parking brake had secured the aircraft after pulling it out only a few clicks.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT CAPT FAILED TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE PROPERLY. THE ACFT ROLLED BACK CAUSING ACFT DAMAGE COSMETIC ONLY TO A FAIRING. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative: ON PARKING ACFT, PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT FULLY SET (MECHANISM WORKS MUCH LIKE THAT ON A CAR. THERE ARE MULTIPLE 'CLICKS' AS YOU ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE. THE MORE CLICKS, THE MORE THE PARKING BRAKE GRABS THE WHEELS). ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN AND I LOOKED DOWN TO GRAB THE CHKLIST TO PERFORM THE SHUTDOWN CHK. WHEN I LOOKED UP, THE ACFT WAS MOVING BACKWARDS! I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE FOOT BRAKES (MY FEET HADN'T EVEN LEFT THE PEDALS YET) AND STOPPED THE ACFT. I PROMPTLY RESET THE PARKING BRAKE. THE ACFT HAD MOVED APPROX 10 FT BACK AND UNFORTUNATELY RAN INTO A BAGGAGE CART. THE ACFT SUFFERED ONLY COSMETIC DAMAGE TO A FIBERGLASS FLAP HINGE FAIRING. OUR COMPANY'S MAINT CTL WAS NOTIFIED AS WAS MGMNT. ALL PARTIES AGREED THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE THE ACFT INSPECTED. THE CART SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE AS WELL. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHY THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT FULLY SET. I AM CAREFUL TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND PULL IT VERY SLOWLY BECAUSE, IF THE ACFT IS STILL MOVING WHEN IT IS SET, IT WILL LOCK UP THE WHEELS AND STOP THE PLANE VERY ABRUPTLY. I BELIEVE I PROBABLY BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP WITH THE TOE BRAKES AND THEN ASSUMED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE HAD SECURED THE ACFT AFTER PULLING IT OUT ONLY A FEW CLICKS.

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.