Narrative:

I'm writing this to relay a mistake I made and lesson learned regarding how I handle the pushback. The situation was that I was getting ready for pushback from the gate at ZZZ for my first leg on day 3 of a 3-DAY pairing. My first officer and I had completed the before start originating and the before push checklists. As I was getting ready to commence the pushback; I became aware that an aircraft was waiting for our gate. I was listening to my first officer who was relaying to me ZZZ ramp's instructions on which way they wanted me to push the aircraft. After I said that; 'brakes are released; you're cleared to push;' to the tug driver; I noted that the tug attempted to move and that the tow bar immediately broke. I looked down and to my astonishment; I had not released the parking brake. A new tow bar was retrieved and the flight departed without further incident. No one was hurt on the ground and there was no damage to the aircraft. As I was assessing my actions afterward; I realized a bad habit I had inadvertently allowed myself to fall into. After taking care of all the pre-pushback fom requirements; the 2 final things I had done up to this point were to ensure one last time that external power was disconnected and to call; 'brakes released; you're cleared to push;' as I was feeling my feet exert forward pressure on the brake pedals to release the parking brake. It then dawned on me that I never had actually forced my eyes to visually confirm that the red parking brake light was out and that the brake release lever was lowered. I had been using the combination of my foot pressure and hearing the click of the parking brake release as my signal up to this point; but yesterday; as I was trying to coordinate with my first officer on where ZZZ ramp wanted us to push back to; I fell prey to distraction. The lesson learned is that I'm changing how I do the pushback. From now on (and I practiced this on my last 2 legs yesterday) after I ensure all the pre-pushback fom requirements; I will release the parking brake; visually confirm that the red parking brake light is out and that the parking brake lever is down; then tell the tug driver; 'brakes are released; you're cleared to push.' hopefully this lesson learned on my part will help someone else down the road.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 PILOT REPORTS CLEARING THE GATE PUSHBACK CREW TO PUSH THE ACFT AFTER HE FAILED TO RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE THUS BREAKING THE TOW BAR.

Narrative: I'M WRITING THIS TO RELAY A MISTAKE I MADE AND LESSON LEARNED REGARDING HOW I HANDLE THE PUSHBACK. THE SITUATION WAS THAT I WAS GETTING READY FOR PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE AT ZZZ FOR MY FIRST LEG ON DAY 3 OF A 3-DAY PAIRING. MY FO AND I HAD COMPLETED THE BEFORE START ORIGINATING AND THE BEFORE PUSH CHKLISTS. AS I WAS GETTING READY TO COMMENCE THE PUSHBACK; I BECAME AWARE THAT AN ACFT WAS WAITING FOR OUR GATE. I WAS LISTENING TO MY FO WHO WAS RELAYING TO ME ZZZ RAMP'S INSTRUCTIONS ON WHICH WAY THEY WANTED ME TO PUSH THE ACFT. AFTER I SAID THAT; 'BRAKES ARE RELEASED; YOU'RE CLRED TO PUSH;' TO THE TUG DRIVER; I NOTED THAT THE TUG ATTEMPTED TO MOVE AND THAT THE TOW BAR IMMEDIATELY BROKE. I LOOKED DOWN AND TO MY ASTONISHMENT; I HAD NOT RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE. A NEW TOW BAR WAS RETRIEVED AND THE FLT DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. NO ONE WAS HURT ON THE GND AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. AS I WAS ASSESSING MY ACTIONS AFTERWARD; I REALIZED A BAD HABIT I HAD INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED MYSELF TO FALL INTO. AFTER TAKING CARE OF ALL THE PRE-PUSHBACK FOM REQUIREMENTS; THE 2 FINAL THINGS I HAD DONE UP TO THIS POINT WERE TO ENSURE ONE LAST TIME THAT EXTERNAL PWR WAS DISCONNECTED AND TO CALL; 'BRAKES RELEASED; YOU'RE CLRED TO PUSH;' AS I WAS FEELING MY FEET EXERT FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDALS TO RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE. IT THEN DAWNED ON ME THAT I NEVER HAD ACTUALLY FORCED MY EYES TO VISUALLY CONFIRM THAT THE RED PARKING BRAKE LIGHT WAS OUT AND THAT THE BRAKE RELEASE LEVER WAS LOWERED. I HAD BEEN USING THE COMBINATION OF MY FOOT PRESSURE AND HEARING THE CLICK OF THE PARKING BRAKE RELEASE AS MY SIGNAL UP TO THIS POINT; BUT YESTERDAY; AS I WAS TRYING TO COORDINATE WITH MY FO ON WHERE ZZZ RAMP WANTED US TO PUSH BACK TO; I FELL PREY TO DISTR. THE LESSON LEARNED IS THAT I'M CHANGING HOW I DO THE PUSHBACK. FROM NOW ON (AND I PRACTICED THIS ON MY LAST 2 LEGS YESTERDAY) AFTER I ENSURE ALL THE PRE-PUSHBACK FOM REQUIREMENTS; I WILL RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE; VISUALLY CONFIRM THAT THE RED PARKING BRAKE LIGHT IS OUT AND THAT THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER IS DOWN; THEN TELL THE TUG DRIVER; 'BRAKES ARE RELEASED; YOU'RE CLRED TO PUSH.' HOPEFULLY THIS LESSON LEARNED ON MY PART WILL HELP SOMEONE ELSE DOWN THE ROAD.

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.