Narrative:

During pushback, when advised 'clear to start', I mistakenly set the parking brake. Aircraft was checked by maintenance no damage resulted to the aircraft, but my pride was affected. Company has issued warnings on this mistake. The proximity and physical movements of the start switch and parking brake have resulted in this mistake happening in the past. Nonetheless, a moment of distraction and inattention to detail made me the victim this time. Please note: the normal procedure for stopping my airplane is stepping on the brakes, followed by setting the parking brake. Air carrier procedure, setting the parking brake without using the brake pedals results in an immediate stop if set accidentally. Compounding the issue, the start switch and the parking brake switch are in close proximity to one another, and this starboard movement of the start switch is identical to the starboard movement of the parking brake switch. I sincerely believe that a major incident is possible without a procedural change (using brake pedals to stop) or a design change of the parking brake switch. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated there are two methods of applying the parking brake on the airbus 320, rudder pedal brakes and parking brake switch activation. The reporter said the switch activation of the parking brake results in instantaneous application of the brakes and during pushback can damage the nose gear strut. The reporter stated the company procedure is to start the engines during the pushback operation after receiving clearance from the pushback crew. The reporter said at that point the engine start selector switch on the engine start panel located on the center pedestal is turned to the right to activate the starter and ignition. The reporter stated the conflict occurs at this point as the parking brake panel is located aft of the engine start panel with the parking brake switch directly in line with the start selector switch. The reporter said both panels are on the most aft part of the center pedestal and are slightly out of sight. The reporter stated the parking brake switch was inadvertently switched on and the airplane stopped abruptly jolting the nose gear strut, towbar, and pushback tug. The reporter said the nose gear was inspected and found ok for service. The reporter stated this is a recurring problem that needs attention and is only being addressed by the company with bulletins and alerts. The reporter said one or two changes are required to correct this problem, relocate the panels or revise the start procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 DURING PUSHBACK AND GIVEN CLRNC TO START THE ACFT WAS ABRUPTLY STOPPED DUE TO INADVERTENT ACTIVATION OF THE PARKING BRAKE SWITCH.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK, WHEN ADVISED 'CLR TO START', I MISTAKENLY SET THE PARKING BRAKE. ACFT WAS CHKED BY MAINT NO DAMAGE RESULTED TO THE ACFT, BUT MY PRIDE WAS AFFECTED. COMPANY HAS ISSUED WARNINGS ON THIS MISTAKE. THE PROXIMITY AND PHYSICAL MOVEMENTS OF THE START SWITCH AND PARKING BRAKE HAVE RESULTED IN THIS MISTAKE HAPPENING IN THE PAST. NONETHELESS, A MOMENT OF DISTRACTION AND INATTENTION TO DETAIL MADE ME THE VICTIM THIS TIME. PLEASE NOTE: THE NORMAL PROC FOR STOPPING MY AIRPLANE IS STEPPING ON THE BRAKES, FOLLOWED BY SETTING THE PARKING BRAKE. ACR PROC, SETTING THE PARKING BRAKE WITHOUT USING THE BRAKE PEDALS RESULTS IN AN IMMEDIATE STOP IF SET ACCIDENTALLY. COMPOUNDING THE ISSUE, THE START SWITCH AND THE PARKING BRAKE SWITCH ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ONE ANOTHER, AND THIS STARBOARD MOVEMENT OF THE START SWITCH IS IDENTICAL TO THE STARBOARD MOVEMENT OF THE PARKING BRAKE SWITCH. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT A MAJOR INCIDENT IS POSSIBLE WITHOUT A PROCEDURAL CHANGE (USING BRAKE PEDALS TO STOP) OR A DESIGN CHANGE OF THE PARKING BRAKE SWITCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THERE ARE TWO METHODS OF APPLYING THE PARKING BRAKE ON THE AIRBUS 320, RUDDER PEDAL BRAKES AND PARKING BRAKE SWITCH ACTIVATION. THE RPTR SAID THE SWITCH ACTIVATION OF THE PARKING BRAKE RESULTS IN INSTANTANEOUS APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES AND DURING PUSHBACK CAN DAMAGE THE NOSE GEAR STRUT. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY PROC IS TO START THE ENGINES DURING THE PUSHBACK OP AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC FROM THE PUSHBACK CREW. THE RPTR SAID AT THAT POINT THE ENGINE START SELECTOR SWITCH ON THE ENGINE START PANEL LOCATED ON THE CTR PEDESTAL IS TURNED TO THE R TO ACTIVATE THE STARTER AND IGNITION. THE RPTR STATED THE CONFLICT OCCURS AT THIS POINT AS THE PARKING BRAKE PANEL IS LOCATED AFT OF THE ENGINE START PANEL WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SWITCH DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE START SELECTOR SWITCH. THE RPTR SAID BOTH PANELS ARE ON THE MOST AFT PART OF THE CTR PEDESTAL AND ARE SLIGHTLY OUT OF SIGHT. THE RPTR STATED THE PARKING BRAKE SWITCH WAS INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED ON AND THE AIRPLANE STOPPED ABRUPTLY JOLTING THE NOSE GEAR STRUT, TOWBAR, AND PUSHBACK TUG. THE RPTR SAID THE NOSE GEAR WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND OK FOR SERVICE. THE RPTR STATED THIS IS A RECURRING PROB THAT NEEDS ATTENTION AND IS ONLY BEING ADDRESSED BY THE COMPANY WITH BULLETINS AND ALERTS. THE RPTR SAID ONE OR TWO CHANGES ARE REQUIRED TO CORRECT THIS PROB, RELOCATE THE PANELS OR REVISE THE START PROCS.

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.