A330 captain released the brakes to be towed back to the gate. The crew discovered they were rolling...

Attributes
ACN	616031
Time
Date	200404
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sju.airport
State Reference	PR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A330
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	616031
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	616897
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ecam cargo door warning other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

On pushback, a cargo door light annunciated during pushback and engine start. I instructed the ground push crew to stay connected because they would have to tow us back in to the gate. I released the parking brake after I said I was releasing it and directed them to tow us back to the gate. Soon I received a visual indication from the ground crew to stop. I did. I then realized that we weren't being pulled by the tug, but instead rolling under our own power. No damage or injuries resulted. I believe the incident was primarily caused by the inability of the ground crew to understand my english. The contributing factors were crew distraction and workload management. We were busy dealing with checklists and abnormal procedures. The cockpit and cabin were also very hot because the packs do not operate when the engines are running and the cargo door indicates open. Supplemental information from acn 616897: at the conclusion of the start procedure, we received an ECAM warning that the forward cargo door was open and the packs were inoperative. (This was a recurring problem with this aircraft. We have no reason to believe that the door was actually open on indication problem only.) the captain informed the ground crew (through the interphone) 'confirm tow bar connected.' the ground coordinator stated 'ok.' the captain stated he was releasing brakes and then did so. We started to move. When I looked up, we were passing our gate and increasing speed. We then noticed the wing walker giving us the stop signal. I said, 'I don't think we're connected.' the captain and I were reluctant to apply the brakes for fear of snapping and damaging the nose gear. Soon, the captain decided that we had traveled far enough. He applied the brakes. We then returned to the gate under our own power, having realized that the tow bar had been disconnected. Observation: better to have forced the agent to report what we told him.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A330 CAPT RELEASED THE BRAKES TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. THE CREW DISCOVERED THEY WERE ROLLING WITH NO TUG ATTACHED.

Narrative: ON PUSHBACK, A CARGO DOOR LIGHT ANNUNCIATED DURING PUSHBACK AND ENG START. I INSTRUCTED THE GND PUSH CREW TO STAY CONNECTED BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO TOW US BACK IN TO THE GATE. I RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE AFTER I SAID I WAS RELEASING IT AND DIRECTED THEM TO TOW US BACK TO THE GATE. SOON I RECEIVED A VISUAL INDICATION FROM THE GND CREW TO STOP. I DID. I THEN REALIZED THAT WE WEREN'T BEING PULLED BY THE TUG, BUT INSTEAD ROLLING UNDER OUR OWN PWR. NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES RESULTED. I BELIEVE THE INCIDENT WAS PRIMARILY CAUSED BY THE INABILITY OF THE GND CREW TO UNDERSTAND MY ENGLISH. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE CREW DISTR AND WORKLOAD MGMNT. WE WERE BUSY DEALING WITH CHKLISTS AND ABNORMAL PROCS. THE COCKPIT AND CABIN WERE ALSO VERY HOT BECAUSE THE PACKS DO NOT OPERATE WHEN THE ENGS ARE RUNNING AND THE CARGO DOOR INDICATES OPEN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 616897: AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE START PROC, WE RECEIVED AN ECAM WARNING THAT THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR WAS OPEN AND THE PACKS WERE INOP. (THIS WAS A RECURRING PROB WITH THIS ACFT. WE HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE DOOR WAS ACTUALLY OPEN ON INDICATION PROB ONLY.) THE CAPT INFORMED THE GND CREW (THROUGH THE INTERPHONE) 'CONFIRM TOW BAR CONNECTED.' THE GND COORDINATOR STATED 'OK.' THE CAPT STATED HE WAS RELEASING BRAKES AND THEN DID SO. WE STARTED TO MOVE. WHEN I LOOKED UP, WE WERE PASSING OUR GATE AND INCREASING SPD. WE THEN NOTICED THE WING WALKER GIVING US THE STOP SIGNAL. I SAID, 'I DON'T THINK WE'RE CONNECTED.' THE CAPT AND I WERE RELUCTANT TO APPLY THE BRAKES FOR FEAR OF SNAPPING AND DAMAGING THE NOSE GEAR. SOON, THE CAPT DECIDED THAT WE HAD TRAVELED FAR ENOUGH. HE APPLIED THE BRAKES. WE THEN RETURNED TO THE GATE UNDER OUR OWN PWR, HAVING REALIZED THAT THE TOW BAR HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED. OBSERVATION: BETTER TO HAVE FORCED THE AGENT TO RPT WHAT WE TOLD HIM.

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.

A330 captain released the brakes to be towed back to the gate. The crew discovered they were rolling with no tug attached.