An air carrier B737-400 flight crew started to taxi before the ground pushback crew had disconnected...

Attributes
ACN	367384
Time
Date	199704
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	367384
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were on the 4TH day of a trip at approximately XA00 local. We were pushing back from the gate and had just started the second engine. After the engines were started, the captain noticed some mail in boxes had fallen on the painted roadway behind a gate to his left. The captain directed me to call the company and advise them of the boxes. We configured the aircraft for taxi. I cleared the area to the right and the captain released the brakes. Realizing he was still connected to the ground crew he reapplied the brakes immediately (we did not move), and completed communications and disconnecting with the ground crew. We had almost taxied with the ground crew still connected because we were momentarily distraction and because of a new unfamiliar pushback procedure. The new procedure requires us to be connected to the ground crew until both engines are started. In the past, we disconnected from the ground crew after the first engine was started so that you had an observer out in front of the aircraft. It is difficult to see the tug and ground crew when they are hooked up during pushback. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter, a captain on a B737-400, said that his company had recently changed their pushback and start procedure. This required the ground crew to remain on the interphone with the tug hooked to the aircraft until all of the engines were started. The flcs are so used to seeing a member of the ground crew in front of the aircraft just before taxi that, by their absence, the flcs assume that it is permissible to taxi and this was one of several recent incidents. The reporter said that he talked to his vice president of flight and he changed the procedure so that a member of the ground crew is positioned in front of the aircraft now. The flight crew exchanges salutes with this ground crew member before they are cleared to taxi. The ground crew member will not salute until the ground equipment and personnel are clear.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737-400 FLC STARTED TO TAXI BEFORE THE GND PUSHBACK CREW HAD DISCONNECTED. THE CAPT REAPPLIED THE BRAKES BEFORE THE ACFT HAD MOVED AND NO INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLC WAS DISTR AND IT WAS A NEW PROC.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE 4TH DAY OF A TRIP AT APPROX XA00 LCL. WE WERE PUSHING BACK FROM THE GATE AND HAD JUST STARTED THE SECOND ENG. AFTER THE ENGS WERE STARTED, THE CAPT NOTICED SOME MAIL IN BOXES HAD FALLEN ON THE PAINTED ROADWAY BEHIND A GATE TO HIS L. THE CAPT DIRECTED ME TO CALL THE COMPANY AND ADVISE THEM OF THE BOXES. WE CONFIGURED THE ACFT FOR TAXI. I CLRED THE AREA TO THE R AND THE CAPT RELEASED THE BRAKES. REALIZING HE WAS STILL CONNECTED TO THE GND CREW HE REAPPLIED THE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY (WE DID NOT MOVE), AND COMPLETED COMS AND DISCONNECTING WITH THE GND CREW. WE HAD ALMOST TAXIED WITH THE GND CREW STILL CONNECTED BECAUSE WE WERE MOMENTARILY DISTR AND BECAUSE OF A NEW UNFAMILIAR PUSHBACK PROC. THE NEW PROC REQUIRES US TO BE CONNECTED TO THE GND CREW UNTIL BOTH ENGS ARE STARTED. IN THE PAST, WE DISCONNECTED FROM THE GND CREW AFTER THE FIRST ENG WAS STARTED SO THAT YOU HAD AN OBSERVER OUT IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE TUG AND GND CREW WHEN THEY ARE HOOKED UP DURING PUSHBACK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR, A CAPT ON A B737-400, SAID THAT HIS COMPANY HAD RECENTLY CHANGED THEIR PUSHBACK AND START PROC. THIS REQUIRED THE GND CREW TO REMAIN ON THE INTERPHONE WITH THE TUG HOOKED TO THE ACFT UNTIL ALL OF THE ENGS WERE STARTED. THE FLCS ARE SO USED TO SEEING A MEMBER OF THE GND CREW IN FRONT OF THE ACFT JUST BEFORE TAXI THAT, BY THEIR ABSENCE, THE FLCS ASSUME THAT IT IS PERMISSIBLE TO TAXI AND THIS WAS ONE OF SEVERAL RECENT INCIDENTS. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE TALKED TO HIS VICE PRESIDENT OF FLT AND HE CHANGED THE PROC SO THAT A MEMBER OF THE GND CREW IS POSITIONED IN FRONT OF THE ACFT NOW. THE FLC EXCHANGES SALUTES WITH THIS GND CREW MEMBER BEFORE THEY ARE CLRED TO TAXI. THE GND CREW MEMBER WILL NOT SALUTE UNTIL THE GND EQUIP AND PERSONNEL ARE CLR.

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.

An air carrier B737-400 flight crew started to taxi before the ground pushback crew had disconnected. The captain reapplied the brakes before the aircraft had moved and no incident occurred. The flight crew was distraction and it was a new procedure.