Narrative:

Pushed back from gate and cleared to start engines. We were starting the left engine as aircraft came to a stop at end of push. As the engine start progressed; I heard the captain tell ground; 'parking brake parked; cleared to disconnect; see you out front.' I was focused on starting the engine. After the left engine was started; we talked about starting the right engine and the captain said we would taxi out on 1 engine. In my mind; I thought a while had gone by since the captain had released the ramp crew and they were already gone. I thought I had missed the salute. I called ramp for taxi and told the captain we were cleared right turn to spot X. The captain pushed up the power to move and we felt a bump. He stopped the aircraft immediately; we moved only a few inches. Apparently the tow bar and tug were still there. I'm not sure if the tow bar was still attached or not. We ascertained that no one was hurt. We had the ramp crew check to see if there was any damage to their equipment or the aircraft; they said no. We called aircraft maintenance out to check the aircraft for damage. They said there was no damage or problems. This brought home to me how important it is to make sure you get a salute from your ground crew. It was dark by the time we pushed and from the cockpit of the B757 the nose completely blocks the view of the tug. This led me to believe they were long gone. These are things that led to the incident; but ultimately it is our responsibility to make sure the area is clear before we move the jet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT CREW BEGAN TAXI BEFORE TUG CREW WAS CLR OF ACFT.

Narrative: PUSHED BACK FROM GATE AND CLRED TO START ENGS. WE WERE STARTING THE L ENG AS ACFT CAME TO A STOP AT END OF PUSH. AS THE ENG START PROGRESSED; I HEARD THE CAPT TELL GND; 'PARKING BRAKE PARKED; CLRED TO DISCONNECT; SEE YOU OUT FRONT.' I WAS FOCUSED ON STARTING THE ENG. AFTER THE L ENG WAS STARTED; WE TALKED ABOUT STARTING THE R ENG AND THE CAPT SAID WE WOULD TAXI OUT ON 1 ENG. IN MY MIND; I THOUGHT A WHILE HAD GONE BY SINCE THE CAPT HAD RELEASED THE RAMP CREW AND THEY WERE ALREADY GONE. I THOUGHT I HAD MISSED THE SALUTE. I CALLED RAMP FOR TAXI AND TOLD THE CAPT WE WERE CLRED R TURN TO SPOT X. THE CAPT PUSHED UP THE PWR TO MOVE AND WE FELT A BUMP. HE STOPPED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY; WE MOVED ONLY A FEW INCHES. APPARENTLY THE TOW BAR AND TUG WERE STILL THERE. I'M NOT SURE IF THE TOW BAR WAS STILL ATTACHED OR NOT. WE ASCERTAINED THAT NO ONE WAS HURT. WE HAD THE RAMP CREW CHK TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE TO THEIR EQUIP OR THE ACFT; THEY SAID NO. WE CALLED ACFT MAINT OUT TO CHK THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR PROBS. THIS BROUGHT HOME TO ME HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO MAKE SURE YOU GET A SALUTE FROM YOUR GND CREW. IT WAS DARK BY THE TIME WE PUSHED AND FROM THE COCKPIT OF THE B757 THE NOSE COMPLETELY BLOCKS THE VIEW OF THE TUG. THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE THEY WERE LONG GONE. THESE ARE THINGS THAT LED TO THE INCIDENT; BUT ULTIMATELY IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THE AREA IS CLR BEFORE WE MOVE THE JET.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.