Narrative:

The incident took place in an air carrier B727 at night in dtw. Air carrier procedures were in effect (receiving push/taxi instructions via ACARS). The aircraft was pushed back and towed to the top of the alley. 2 engines were started for a delayed engine start. After the second engine was started, the so delayed his after engine start flow thinking we were starting all 3 engines. A delayed engine start was confirmed and I passed a taxi request via ACARS as per air carrier procedures. I was listening on metropolitan ground control frequency and not the interphone. A message was received via ACARS to contact metropolitan ground, which I did, when a break in radio xmissions allowed. During this time the ground personnel were disconnecting the aircraft from the tug. Metropolitan ground cleared us to taxi following an xyz air carrier aircraft from the right. I informed the captain that our sequence was behind the xyz air carrier aircraft. Since I was busy with the ACARS and the radio, I was not aware of the status of ground personnel. The captain begin to taxi and after a few ft, the nose gear came in contact with the tow bar. The ground personnel re-established communication and informed us that we had hit the tow bar. The captain had not received the 'wave' before taxiing. The ground personnel inspected the nose gear and noted no damage, so we proceeded to atlanta. This problem could have been avoided in 3 ways: 1) the captain needs to receive a wave before taxiing. 2) the first officer should not call for taxi until the wave has been received. 3) the so should not let the captain taxi until the before taxi check has been completed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727, AFTER PUSHBACK AND ENG START AND PRIOR TO THE WAVE OFF BY THE GND CREW, BEGAN TO TAXI AND STRUCK A TOWBAR.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE IN AN ACR B727 AT NIGHT IN DTW. ACR PROCS WERE IN EFFECT (RECEIVING PUSH/TAXI INSTRUCTIONS VIA ACARS). THE ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK AND TOWED TO THE TOP OF THE ALLEY. 2 ENGS WERE STARTED FOR A DELAYED ENG START. AFTER THE SECOND ENG WAS STARTED, THE SO DELAYED HIS AFTER ENG START FLOW THINKING WE WERE STARTING ALL 3 ENGS. A DELAYED ENG START WAS CONFIRMED AND I PASSED A TAXI REQUEST VIA ACARS AS PER ACR PROCS. I WAS LISTENING ON METRO GND CTL FREQ AND NOT THE INTERPHONE. A MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED VIA ACARS TO CONTACT METRO GND, WHICH I DID, WHEN A BREAK IN RADIO XMISSIONS ALLOWED. DURING THIS TIME THE GND PERSONNEL WERE DISCONNECTING THE ACFT FROM THE TUG. METRO GND CLRED US TO TAXI FOLLOWING AN XYZ ACR ACFT FROM THE R. I INFORMED THE CAPT THAT OUR SEQUENCE WAS BEHIND THE XYZ ACR ACFT. SINCE I WAS BUSY WITH THE ACARS AND THE RADIO, I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE STATUS OF GND PERSONNEL. THE CAPT BEGIN TO TAXI AND AFTER A FEW FT, THE NOSE GEAR CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE TOW BAR. THE GND PERSONNEL RE-ESTABLISHED COM AND INFORMED US THAT WE HAD HIT THE TOW BAR. THE CAPT HAD NOT RECEIVED THE 'WAVE' BEFORE TAXIING. THE GND PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE NOSE GEAR AND NOTED NO DAMAGE, SO WE PROCEEDED TO ATLANTA. THIS PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IN 3 WAYS: 1) THE CAPT NEEDS TO RECEIVE A WAVE BEFORE TAXIING. 2) THE FO SHOULD NOT CALL FOR TAXI UNTIL THE WAVE HAS BEEN RECEIVED. 3) THE SO SHOULD NOT LET THE CAPT TAXI UNTIL THE BEFORE TAXI CHK HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

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.