Narrative:

Upon arrival at aircraft while stowing my gear, the captain informed me of a few open write-ups and some MEL items requiring maintenance actions. I proceeded with my exterior inspection. After I finished my walkaround and entered the cockpit, the captain informed me that maintenance had the logbooks and was filling the aircraft with oil and hydraulic fluids and that no one was to pressurize the hydraulic system until further advised. While I was doing my preflight flows, the logbooks were returned to the cockpit and the mechanic advised that he would then add the hydraulic fluid. He also stated that we could close the forward door for departure and that he would get our attention when it was ok to pressurize the hydraulic system. The csa then asked if she could close the door and the captain told her 'yes' and that we would be just a few mins running the checklists prior to engine start. When the door was closed, the captain called for the preflight check. Within seconds of that call, we realized that the ground crew members and power-back coordinator were yelling to get our attention. We recognized the aircraft was rolling backwards and the captain pressed the toe brakes and set the parking brake. The captain then asked the ground crew if the chocks had been pulled and why. The ground crew said that the aircraft had shown 'out.' the captain told them that we were still running checklists, that a mechanic was still filling the hydraulic reservoir, and that no ground crew member had ever confirmed that the aircraft brakes were set prior to pulling the chocks (required by company policy). No injuries were reported. Due to recent occurrences where a number of air crews have departed without their logbooks, guidance is do not perform preflight flows or checklists until logbooks are on board. Since the captain had not completed his flows when the logbooks were removed, the aircraft parking brake had not been set. When the forward cabin door closed, this generated an 'out' time. The ground crew saw this and took it upon themselves (without adhering to their strict guidance to confirm 'brake set') to pull chocks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-50 ROLLS BACKWARD ON RAMP WHEN GND CREW PULLS CHOCKS BEFORE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT ACFT WHILE STOWING MY GEAR, THE CAPT INFORMED ME OF A FEW OPEN WRITE-UPS AND SOME MEL ITEMS REQUIRING MAINT ACTIONS. I PROCEEDED WITH MY EXTERIOR INSPECTION. AFTER I FINISHED MY WALKAROUND AND ENTERED THE COCKPIT, THE CAPT INFORMED ME THAT MAINT HAD THE LOGBOOKS AND WAS FILLING THE ACFT WITH OIL AND HYD FLUIDS AND THAT NO ONE WAS TO PRESSURIZE THE HYD SYS UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED. WHILE I WAS DOING MY PREFLT FLOWS, THE LOGBOOKS WERE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND THE MECH ADVISED THAT HE WOULD THEN ADD THE HYD FLUID. HE ALSO STATED THAT WE COULD CLOSE THE FORWARD DOOR FOR DEP AND THAT HE WOULD GET OUR ATTN WHEN IT WAS OK TO PRESSURIZE THE HYD SYS. THE CSA THEN ASKED IF SHE COULD CLOSE THE DOOR AND THE CAPT TOLD HER 'YES' AND THAT WE WOULD BE JUST A FEW MINS RUNNING THE CHKLISTS PRIOR TO ENG START. WHEN THE DOOR WAS CLOSED, THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE PREFLT CHK. WITHIN SECONDS OF THAT CALL, WE REALIZED THAT THE GND CREW MEMBERS AND PWR-BACK COORDINATOR WERE YELLING TO GET OUR ATTN. WE RECOGNIZED THE ACFT WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS AND THE CAPT PRESSED THE TOE BRAKES AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. THE CAPT THEN ASKED THE GND CREW IF THE CHOCKS HAD BEEN PULLED AND WHY. THE GND CREW SAID THAT THE ACFT HAD SHOWN 'OUT.' THE CAPT TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE STILL RUNNING CHKLISTS, THAT A MECH WAS STILL FILLING THE HYD RESERVOIR, AND THAT NO GND CREW MEMBER HAD EVER CONFIRMED THAT THE ACFT BRAKES WERE SET PRIOR TO PULLING THE CHOCKS (REQUIRED BY COMPANY POLICY). NO INJURIES WERE RPTED. DUE TO RECENT OCCURRENCES WHERE A NUMBER OF AIR CREWS HAVE DEPARTED WITHOUT THEIR LOGBOOKS, GUIDANCE IS DO NOT PERFORM PREFLT FLOWS OR CHKLISTS UNTIL LOGBOOKS ARE ON BOARD. SINCE THE CAPT HAD NOT COMPLETED HIS FLOWS WHEN THE LOGBOOKS WERE REMOVED, THE ACFT PARKING BRAKE HAD NOT BEEN SET. WHEN THE FORWARD CABIN DOOR CLOSED, THIS GENERATED AN 'OUT' TIME. THE GND CREW SAW THIS AND TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES (WITHOUT ADHERING TO THEIR STRICT GUIDANCE TO CONFIRM 'BRAKE SET') TO PULL CHOCKS.

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.