Narrative:

We pushed back from gate X at ord 15 mins late due to a late inbound. During the push, the mechanic cleared us to start the left engine only, as more last-min bags were expected. Once the bags were loaded and the forward cargo door closed, as per procedure, we had to wait 1 min before starting the right engine. The mechanic cleared us to start the right engine, and said he would stand by on the headset. Due to the procedural delay and since pushback was complete with the parking brake set, I suggested he could disconnect the towbar. I observed the 'nosewheel steering disconnect' message disappear, followed by the mechanic's 'towbar disconnected, pin removed' call. I cleared him to disconnect his headset. He said 'disconnecting, watch for my salute.' earlier, I had noticed the aircraft at gate Y, to our right, pushback before us and now I looked and saw that we were in their way and possibly delaying their taxi. This, along with the fact that we had to delay right engine start which would delay them further, distraction me and I asked the first officer if he was agreeable to a single-engine taxi out now and starting the right engine during taxi. He said he was and we configured accordingly. At this point, in my mind, I somehow mistakenly assumed that I had received the 'salute and release from guidance' signal. In the hurry and distraction, I believe my mind computed the 'towbar disconnected pin removed.' call as the 'salute and release from guidance' signal. I then turned the antiskid and nosewheel steering switch on, set my acp to VHF2 and said 'taxi clearance.' we were cleared to taxi by ramp control. I called 'left clear' and the first officer called 'right clear.' I turned on the taxi light, released the parking brake and moved forward. Just then the first officer called 'stop' and I immediately stopped the aircraft. I estimate I had moved 3-4 ft. The first officer then said he now saw the tug emerging into his field of view from beneath the aircraft. The mechanic continued moving the tug further, parked, and gave me the 'salute and release from guidance' signal. We taxied out without further incident. There was no felt or reported damage to personnel or equipment. Critique: in the hurry and distraction, I mistook the 'towbar disconnected, pin removed' call to be the 'salute and release from guidance' signal and proceeded from that misconception. The first officer also did not catch my missed 'I have a salute and release from guidance' call. My failure to recognize the red flags of being hurried and distraction led to this breakdown of SOP's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 BEGINS TO TAXI PRIOR TO RECEIVING A CLRNC FROM THE RAMP PUSHBACK CREW AT ORD.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK FROM GATE X AT ORD 15 MINS LATE DUE TO A LATE INBOUND. DURING THE PUSH, THE MECH CLRED US TO START THE L ENG ONLY, AS MORE LAST-MIN BAGS WERE EXPECTED. ONCE THE BAGS WERE LOADED AND THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR CLOSED, AS PER PROC, WE HAD TO WAIT 1 MIN BEFORE STARTING THE R ENG. THE MECH CLRED US TO START THE R ENG, AND SAID HE WOULD STAND BY ON THE HEADSET. DUE TO THE PROCEDURAL DELAY AND SINCE PUSHBACK WAS COMPLETE WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SET, I SUGGESTED HE COULD DISCONNECT THE TOWBAR. I OBSERVED THE 'NOSEWHEEL STEERING DISCONNECT' MESSAGE DISAPPEAR, FOLLOWED BY THE MECH'S 'TOWBAR DISCONNECTED, PIN REMOVED' CALL. I CLRED HIM TO DISCONNECT HIS HEADSET. HE SAID 'DISCONNECTING, WATCH FOR MY SALUTE.' EARLIER, I HAD NOTICED THE ACFT AT GATE Y, TO OUR R, PUSHBACK BEFORE US AND NOW I LOOKED AND SAW THAT WE WERE IN THEIR WAY AND POSSIBLY DELAYING THEIR TAXI. THIS, ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAD TO DELAY R ENG START WHICH WOULD DELAY THEM FURTHER, DISTR ME AND I ASKED THE FO IF HE WAS AGREEABLE TO A SINGLE-ENG TAXI OUT NOW AND STARTING THE R ENG DURING TAXI. HE SAID HE WAS AND WE CONFIGURED ACCORDINGLY. AT THIS POINT, IN MY MIND, I SOMEHOW MISTAKENLY ASSUMED THAT I HAD RECEIVED THE 'SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE' SIGNAL. IN THE HURRY AND DISTR, I BELIEVE MY MIND COMPUTED THE 'TOWBAR DISCONNECTED PIN REMOVED.' CALL AS THE 'SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE' SIGNAL. I THEN TURNED THE ANTISKID AND NOSEWHEEL STEERING SWITCH ON, SET MY ACP TO VHF2 AND SAID 'TAXI CLRNC.' WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI BY RAMP CTL. I CALLED 'L CLR' AND THE FO CALLED 'R CLR.' I TURNED ON THE TAXI LIGHT, RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE AND MOVED FORWARD. JUST THEN THE FO CALLED 'STOP' AND I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT. I ESTIMATE I HAD MOVED 3-4 FT. THE FO THEN SAID HE NOW SAW THE TUG EMERGING INTO HIS FIELD OF VIEW FROM BENEATH THE ACFT. THE MECH CONTINUED MOVING THE TUG FURTHER, PARKED, AND GAVE ME THE 'SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE' SIGNAL. WE TAXIED OUT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO FELT OR RPTED DAMAGE TO PERSONNEL OR EQUIP. CRITIQUE: IN THE HURRY AND DISTR, I MISTOOK THE 'TOWBAR DISCONNECTED, PIN REMOVED' CALL TO BE THE 'SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE' SIGNAL AND PROCEEDED FROM THAT MISCONCEPTION. THE FO ALSO DID NOT CATCH MY MISSED 'I HAVE A SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE' CALL. MY FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THE RED FLAGS OF BEING HURRIED AND DISTR LED TO THIS BREAKDOWN OF SOP'S.

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.