A B767 captain allowed the ramp agent pushing the aircraft to use hand signals because the tug's int...

Attributes
ACN	898433
Time
Date	201007
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Taxi
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 80 Flight Crew Total 13000 Flight Crew Type 7000
Person 2
Function	Pilot Not Flying First Officer
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200 Flight Crew Total 15000 Flight Crew Type 4000
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown

Narrative:

As we were being pushed back; the pushback driver stopped the push and called me to say his cord for communication broke and could not talk to me from the cab of the tow so he asked if we could use hand signals and I agreed to do so. He went back to the cab and continued towing us out to the top of the alley and stopped. We waited for hand signals but nobody appeared to give the set brakes signal so we waited. The aircraft began moving forward again so we thought we were under tow again until I saw the tow out of the corner of my eye to the left. We then realized we were not connected and were rolling forward. Both first officer and I hit the brakes and came to a stop. I looked out and saw a guide man give me a signal for release. I gave him a shoulder shrug to say what was going on. He waved me off. Since we did not feel any damage to the aircraft and it seemed no one got hurt on the ground we continued on. A flight attendant did get hurt when we came to an abrupt stop but only minor injury. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 Captain allowed the Ramp Agent pushing the aircraft to use hand signals because the tug's intercom failed. After the push was complete the Agent failed to advise the Captain to set the brakes and the aircraft began moving on its own.

Narrative: As we were being pushed back; the pushback driver stopped the push and called me to say his cord for communication broke and could not talk to me from the cab of the tow so he asked if we could use hand signals and I agreed to do so. He went back to the cab and continued towing us out to the top of the alley and stopped. We waited for hand signals but nobody appeared to give the set brakes signal so we waited. The aircraft began moving forward again so we thought we were under tow again until I saw the tow out of the corner of my eye to the left. We then realized we were not connected and were rolling forward. Both First Officer and I hit the brakes and came to a stop. I looked out and saw a guide man give me a signal for release. I gave him a shoulder shrug to say what was going on. He waved me off. Since we did not feel any damage to the aircraft and it seemed no one got hurt on the ground we continued on. A Flight Attendant did get hurt when we came to an abrupt stop but only minor injury. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

A B767 captain allowed the ramp agent pushing the aircraft to use hand signals because the tug's intercom failed. After the push was complete the agent failed to advise the captain to set the brakes and the aircraft began moving on its own.