Narrative:

I was contacted by ground personnel, who I thought was on the tug, that they were ready to push back. We called anc ground control for clearance to push back from gate X. I released the brakes for the push back. I did not see another ground handler during the entire push back other than the person on the tug. There were no ground handlers with wands or safety vests in my sight during the entire push back and release process. We were told we could start engines and we started both engines. When told to set the brakes, I set the brakes and said to disconnect the tow bar and I would stand by for hand signals. There was no response from the tug driver. The tug then left. We finished the after start check. Then we called anc ground control for taxi instructions. I turned on the nose gear taxi light and cleared to the left and the first officer cleared to the right. We could see no obstructions to our taxi path. I called for the flaps to be lowered for takeoff. I advanced the throttles and the aircraft started to move. At that time we noticed 2 ramp personnel running from our right side near the aircraft to out in front of us in our taxi light. They were giving the stop signal. I then stopped and set the brakes. These 2 ramp personnel were the first I had seen during the entire push back and neither had wands or safety vests. The aircraft right wing had contacted a tug used for pulling baggage carts. I believe this whole event would have been avoided if the ground handler would have remained out in front of the aircraft in my sight, if the ground handlers had used the correct push back procedures and not left without the proper wave off. The company should develop procedures for checking the door lights before taxi or wire the master caution light to come on when a door is opened. I will now include the door lights in my personal scan before taxi. Supplemental information from acn 354904: I was not listening to the intercom and had my 'head down' in the cockpit. I then looked up and saw the bag door light was on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CREW RPTS THAT THEY STARTED TAXIING WITHOUT A PROPER WAVE OFF BY THE GND SVC MEN. ACFT DAMAGED WING HIT TUG. NIGHT OP. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative: I WAS CONTACTED BY GND PERSONNEL, WHO I THOUGHT WAS ON THE TUG, THAT THEY WERE READY TO PUSH BACK. WE CALLED ANC GND CTL FOR CLRNC TO PUSH BACK FROM GATE X. I RELEASED THE BRAKES FOR THE PUSH BACK. I DID NOT SEE ANOTHER GND HANDLER DURING THE ENTIRE PUSH BACK OTHER THAN THE PERSON ON THE TUG. THERE WERE NO GND HANDLERS WITH WANDS OR SAFETY VESTS IN MY SIGHT DURING THE ENTIRE PUSH BACK AND RELEASE PROCESS. WE WERE TOLD WE COULD START ENGS AND WE STARTED BOTH ENGS. WHEN TOLD TO SET THE BRAKES, I SET THE BRAKES AND SAID TO DISCONNECT THE TOW BAR AND I WOULD STAND BY FOR HAND SIGNALS. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE TUG DRIVER. THE TUG THEN LEFT. WE FINISHED THE AFTER START CHK. THEN WE CALLED ANC GND CTL FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I TURNED ON THE NOSE GEAR TAXI LIGHT AND CLRED TO THE L AND THE FO CLRED TO THE R. WE COULD SEE NO OBSTRUCTIONS TO OUR TAXI PATH. I CALLED FOR THE FLAPS TO BE LOWERED FOR TKOF. I ADVANCED THE THROTTLES AND THE ACFT STARTED TO MOVE. AT THAT TIME WE NOTICED 2 RAMP PERSONNEL RUNNING FROM OUR R SIDE NEAR THE ACFT TO OUT IN FRONT OF US IN OUR TAXI LIGHT. THEY WERE GIVING THE STOP SIGNAL. I THEN STOPPED AND SET THE BRAKES. THESE 2 RAMP PERSONNEL WERE THE FIRST I HAD SEEN DURING THE ENTIRE PUSH BACK AND NEITHER HAD WANDS OR SAFETY VESTS. THE ACFT R WING HAD CONTACTED A TUG USED FOR PULLING BAGGAGE CARTS. I BELIEVE THIS WHOLE EVENT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE GND HANDLER WOULD HAVE REMAINED OUT IN FRONT OF THE ACFT IN MY SIGHT, IF THE GND HANDLERS HAD USED THE CORRECT PUSH BACK PROCS AND NOT LEFT WITHOUT THE PROPER WAVE OFF. THE COMPANY SHOULD DEVELOP PROCS FOR CHKING THE DOOR LIGHTS BEFORE TAXI OR WIRE THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT TO COME ON WHEN A DOOR IS OPENED. I WILL NOW INCLUDE THE DOOR LIGHTS IN MY PERSONAL SCAN BEFORE TAXI. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 354904: I WAS NOT LISTENING TO THE INTERCOM AND HAD MY 'HEAD DOWN' IN THE COCKPIT. I THEN LOOKED UP AND SAW THE BAG DOOR LIGHT WAS ON.

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.