Narrative:

During pushback off gate, just as we were starting the left engine, the headset man said, step on the brakes, gently, we're not attached, the tow bar isn't attached. While he was saying this we were traveling backwards at a pretty good clip with the tug close in on our nose in hot pursuit. The whole process was smooth and I wouldn't have known we were disconnected if not informed by the ground man. I momentarily considered coasting to a stop, but we had pretty good momentum and I had a brief vision of running over some folks or vehicles and decided to stop. I applied the brakes gently and came to a gradual stop. I set the brakes, was reattached, and continued without incident. The headset man was professional throughout and apologetic. He said something about the pin not being in and didn't know how it happened. My main concern is that in these troubled times something like this could be done on purpose, although I strongly suspect that it was just an accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SUPER MD80 ON PUSHBACK WAS ADVISED TO PUT THE BRAKES ON GENTLY. MAINT HAD FAILED TO INSTALL PIN IN TOWBAR AND ACFT WAS FREE WHEELING IN REVERSE. NO DAMAGE.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK OFF GATE, JUST AS WE WERE STARTING THE L ENG, THE HEADSET MAN SAID, STEP ON THE BRAKES, GENTLY, WE'RE NOT ATTACHED, THE TOW BAR ISN'T ATTACHED. WHILE HE WAS SAYING THIS WE WERE TRAVELING BACKWARDS AT A PRETTY GOOD CLIP WITH THE TUG CLOSE IN ON OUR NOSE IN HOT PURSUIT. THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS SMOOTH AND I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN WE WERE DISCONNECTED IF NOT INFORMED BY THE GND MAN. I MOMENTARILY CONSIDERED COASTING TO A STOP, BUT WE HAD PRETTY GOOD MOMENTUM AND I HAD A BRIEF VISION OF RUNNING OVER SOME FOLKS OR VEHICLES AND DECIDED TO STOP. I APPLIED THE BRAKES GENTLY AND CAME TO A GRADUAL STOP. I SET THE BRAKES, WAS REATTACHED, AND CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE HEADSET MAN WAS PROFESSIONAL THROUGHOUT AND APOLOGETIC. HE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE PIN NOT BEING IN AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT IN THESE TROUBLED TIMES SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD BE DONE ON PURPOSE, ALTHOUGH I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT.

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.