Parking brake inadvertently set during pushback. Nose gear, tow bar and steering damaged.

Attributes
ACN	496061
Time
Date	200012
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx.airport
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	496061
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During the pushback, while I was clearing behind and to the right of the aircraft, the captain turned on the parking brake. The aircraft came to an abrupt halt. Nobody was injured in the aircraft or on the ground. The aircraft broke the tow bar and sustained damage to the nose gear, and nosewheel steering. The aircraft was pushed approximately 30 ft from the gate and was unable to be moved. The captain said he was reaching for his glasses which he stowed by the brake. After the incident, he said he was 'fumbling around' for them and accidentally turned on the brake. In the A320/319 the parking brake has to be lifted and turned at the same time. In my opinion, the captain may have been feeling rushed because we were running behind schedule. He is also just 2 yrs short of retirement. I felt he lost his situational awareness and turned the brake on out of sequence. I saw him reaching for his glasses after I asked what happened and then used that as an excuse.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARKING BRAKE INADVERTENTLY SET DURING PUSHBACK. NOSE GEAR, TOW BAR AND STEERING DAMAGED.

Narrative: DURING THE PUSHBACK, WHILE I WAS CLRING BEHIND AND TO THE R OF THE ACFT, THE CAPT TURNED ON THE PARKING BRAKE. THE ACFT CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT. NOBODY WAS INJURED IN THE ACFT OR ON THE GND. THE ACFT BROKE THE TOW BAR AND SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR, AND NOSEWHEEL STEERING. THE ACFT WAS PUSHED APPROX 30 FT FROM THE GATE AND WAS UNABLE TO BE MOVED. THE CAPT SAID HE WAS REACHING FOR HIS GLASSES WHICH HE STOWED BY THE BRAKE. AFTER THE INCIDENT, HE SAID HE WAS 'FUMBLING AROUND' FOR THEM AND ACCIDENTALLY TURNED ON THE BRAKE. IN THE A320/319 THE PARKING BRAKE HAS TO BE LIFTED AND TURNED AT THE SAME TIME. IN MY OPINION, THE CAPT MAY HAVE BEEN FEELING RUSHED BECAUSE WE WERE RUNNING BEHIND SCHEDULE. HE IS ALSO JUST 2 YRS SHORT OF RETIREMENT. I FELT HE LOST HIS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND TURNED THE BRAKE ON OUT OF SEQUENCE. I SAW HIM REACHING FOR HIS GLASSES AFTER I ASKED WHAT HAPPENED AND THEN USED THAT AS AN EXCUSE.

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.