Narrative:

On pushback from gate xx in phl we bent the tow bar. At completion of pushback I set parking brakes, completed engines start and verbally released the pushback crew. The pushback crew acknowledged. We completed the after start checklist, received taxi clearance and began taxi. Just as we moved the aircraft the pushback crew member ran into my visual area and signaled an emergency stop. It was then that I realized I had not received nor responded (ICAO procedure) to ground crew all clear signal. The problem occurred because of an inordinately long time elapsed after verbally releasing the pushback crew and when we normally would have received 'ground crew clear' signal. The ground crew after the fact informed me that after I had verbally released them and they said good-bye they had trouble releasing the towbar from the aircraft. During this time frame, which was approximately 3 times longer than normal, I completed all checklists, got clearance and forgot that I had not been given the thumbs up signal.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB COMMERCIAL FIXED WING ACFT AFTER PUSHBACK STARTED TO TAXI BEFORE THE TOW BAR WAS DISCONNECTED AND ALL CLR SIGNAL SALUTE.

Narrative: ON PUSHBACK FROM GATE XX IN PHL WE BENT THE TOW BAR. AT COMPLETION OF PUSHBACK I SET PARKING BRAKES, COMPLETED ENGS START AND VERBALLY RELEASED THE PUSHBACK CREW. THE PUSHBACK CREW ACKNOWLEDGED. WE COMPLETED THE AFTER START CHKLIST, RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC AND BEGAN TAXI. JUST AS WE MOVED THE ACFT THE PUSHBACK CREW MEMBER RAN INTO MY VISUAL AREA AND SIGNALED AN EMER STOP. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED I HAD NOT RECEIVED NOR RESPONDED (ICAO PROC) TO GND CREW ALL CLR SIGNAL. THE PROB OCCURRED BECAUSE OF AN INORDINATELY LONG TIME ELAPSED AFTER VERBALLY RELEASING THE PUSHBACK CREW AND WHEN WE NORMALLY WOULD HAVE RECEIVED 'GND CREW CLR' SIGNAL. THE GND CREW AFTER THE FACT INFORMED ME THAT AFTER I HAD VERBALLY RELEASED THEM AND THEY SAID GOOD-BYE THEY HAD TROUBLE RELEASING THE TOWBAR FROM THE ACFT. DURING THIS TIME FRAME, WHICH WAS APPROX 3 TIMES LONGER THAN NORMAL, I COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS, GOT CLRNC AND FORGOT THAT I HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN THE THUMBS UP SIGNAL.

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.