Narrative:

Arrived at FBO with crew of 2 to repos aircraft from overnight hangar storage to gate for subsequent revenue flight. Aircraft was in hangar, connected to tow bar, and ready for tow. Crew had completed exterior inspection and was stowing gear in flight deck when tow driver, without warning commenced tow from hangar (parking brake had been released apparently by the driver). Crew monitored otherwise uneventful tow but shortly noted that the aircraft APU was labeled inoperative. Tow driver was notified by hand signal of the need for external power, whereupon he appeared to park the tow tug and departed for the hangar. Returning, the driver again without comment fueled the tug (it had run out of fuel) and continued the tow positioning the aircraft adjacent a hangar. Subsequently, a long line external power source was provided. With dc power now available after nearly 15 mins sitting in a 7 degree F environment, I told the first officer I intended to start #2 engine to get power and heat on the aircraft then complete the before start originating checklist. Not realizing I had not set the parking brake at the 'unannounced' end of the tow, I started the engine with routine engine start flow procedures which assume the before start checklist is complete. The engine stabilized briefly in feather then I brought the condition lever to minimum. I did not feel the initial aircraft movement nor have a visual cue because the ramp was dark and I was looking at the instrument panel. The first officer reported the movement and knowing immediately that no normal brakes were available, I used the emergency brake. Aircraft stopped and engine was secured normally. Aircraft damage was noted as crease impact with ramp power terminal on left underside of the aircraft covering about 80 inches. Flight attendant crew member lost footing at brake application falling against flight deck door which pinched the fingers of her right hand. Flight attendant was treated at a medical facility on maintenance ferry return to ZZZ, us (the air carrier corporate/maintenance headquarters).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DASH 8 WITH NO GND COM OR BRAKES SET STARTED #2 ENG AND HAD THE ACFT ROLL FORWARD INTO THE GPU INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE L SIDE OF ACFT FUSELAGE.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT FBO WITH CREW OF 2 TO REPOS ACFT FROM OVERNIGHT HANGAR STORAGE TO GATE FOR SUBSEQUENT REVENUE FLT. ACFT WAS IN HANGAR, CONNECTED TO TOW BAR, AND READY FOR TOW. CREW HAD COMPLETED EXTERIOR INSPECTION AND WAS STOWING GEAR IN FLT DECK WHEN TOW DRIVER, WITHOUT WARNING COMMENCED TOW FROM HANGAR (PARKING BRAKE HAD BEEN RELEASED APPARENTLY BY THE DRIVER). CREW MONITORED OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL TOW BUT SHORTLY NOTED THAT THE ACFT APU WAS LABELED INOP. TOW DRIVER WAS NOTIFIED BY HAND SIGNAL OF THE NEED FOR EXTERNAL PWR, WHEREUPON HE APPEARED TO PARK THE TOW TUG AND DEPARTED FOR THE HANGAR. RETURNING, THE DRIVER AGAIN WITHOUT COMMENT FUELED THE TUG (IT HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL) AND CONTINUED THE TOW POSITIONING THE ACFT ADJACENT A HANGAR. SUBSEQUENTLY, A LONG LINE EXTERNAL PWR SOURCE WAS PROVIDED. WITH DC PWR NOW AVAILABLE AFTER NEARLY 15 MINS SITTING IN A 7 DEG F ENVIRONMENT, I TOLD THE FO I INTENDED TO START #2 ENG TO GET PWR AND HEAT ON THE ACFT THEN COMPLETE THE BEFORE START ORIGINATING CHKLIST. NOT REALIZING I HAD NOT SET THE PARKING BRAKE AT THE 'UNANNOUNCED' END OF THE TOW, I STARTED THE ENG WITH ROUTINE ENG START FLOW PROCS WHICH ASSUME THE BEFORE START CHKLIST IS COMPLETE. THE ENG STABILIZED BRIEFLY IN FEATHER THEN I BROUGHT THE CONDITION LEVER TO MINIMUM. I DID NOT FEEL THE INITIAL ACFT MOVEMENT NOR HAVE A VISUAL CUE BECAUSE THE RAMP WAS DARK AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE INST PANEL. THE FO RPTED THE MOVEMENT AND KNOWING IMMEDIATELY THAT NO NORMAL BRAKES WERE AVAILABLE, I USED THE EMER BRAKE. ACFT STOPPED AND ENG WAS SECURED NORMALLY. ACFT DAMAGE WAS NOTED AS CREASE IMPACT WITH RAMP PWR TERMINAL ON L UNDERSIDE OF THE ACFT COVERING ABOUT 80 INCHES. FLT ATTENDANT CREW MEMBER LOST FOOTING AT BRAKE APPLICATION FALLING AGAINST FLT DECK DOOR WHICH PINCHED THE FINGERS OF HER R HAND. FLT ATTENDANT WAS TREATED AT A MEDICAL FACILITY ON MAINT FERRY RETURN TO ZZZ, US (THE ACR CORPORATE/MAINT HEADQUARTERS).

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.