Narrative:

On flight from charlotte, nc to baltimore, md, we pushed back from the gate on schedule, only to find when we went to start the engines, the air flow from the APU was too low. Maintenance towed us back to the gate, to use ground air to start the engines. The jetway was pulled up to the aircraft and the door opened to allow a mechanic to come on board. He took the logbook inside the terminal to show the APU would be put on the MEL. Soon after, the mechanic returned to the cockpit with the logbook and left again. The ground air had been connected and we started the right engine. The ground air was disconnected and the mechanic tug driver called the cockpit to see if we were ready to push back. We called ground control for pushback clearance and upon receiving it, told the tug driver 'the brakes are off, cleared to push.' we started back and soon heard unusual sounds in the nosewheel area. I was just about to put on the brakes when we stopped. We had made contact with the jetway, which had not been moved back, and with our door, which had not been closed. The emergency escape chute deployed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT RETURNED TO GATE FOR ENG START. DOOR OPENED FOR MECH TO COMPLETE LOGBOOK. PUSHBACK WITH DOOR OPEN. HIT JETWAY.

Narrative: ON FLT FROM CHARLOTTE, NC TO BALTIMORE, MD, WE PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE ON SCHEDULE, ONLY TO FIND WHEN WE WENT TO START THE ENGS, THE AIR FLOW FROM THE APU WAS TOO LOW. MAINT TOWED US BACK TO THE GATE, TO USE GND AIR TO START THE ENGS. THE JETWAY WAS PULLED UP TO THE ACFT AND THE DOOR OPENED TO ALLOW A MECH TO COME ON BOARD. HE TOOK THE LOGBOOK INSIDE THE TERMINAL TO SHOW THE APU WOULD BE PUT ON THE MEL. SOON AFTER, THE MECH RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT WITH THE LOGBOOK AND LEFT AGAIN. THE GND AIR HAD BEEN CONNECTED AND WE STARTED THE R ENG. THE GND AIR WAS DISCONNECTED AND THE MECH TUG DRIVER CALLED THE COCKPIT TO SEE IF WE WERE READY TO PUSH BACK. WE CALLED GND CTL FOR PUSHBACK CLRNC AND UPON RECEIVING IT, TOLD THE TUG DRIVER 'THE BRAKES ARE OFF, CLRED TO PUSH.' WE STARTED BACK AND SOON HEARD UNUSUAL SOUNDS IN THE NOSEWHEEL AREA. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO PUT ON THE BRAKES WHEN WE STOPPED. WE HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE JETWAY, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN MOVED BACK, AND WITH OUR DOOR, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN CLOSED. THE EMER ESCAPE CHUTE DEPLOYED.

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.