Angle of attack vane damaged when aircraft rolled backwards into the jet bridge.

Attributes
ACN	271396
Time
Date	199405
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : z6zv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	271396
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The aircraft had been boarded and we were about to push 7 mins late of scheduled departure time. As the gate agent closed the forward cabin door, I released the parking brake (intending to do so momentarily to trip the 'out' function of the ACARS and then to reset it while coordination with ground crew took place). The aircraft moved backwards about 18 inches, enough for the jetway, which was not yet retracted from the aircraft, to impact with the alpha vane on the side of the fuselage. The alpha vane was damaged and was subsequently replaced by maintenance before we departed. No ground personnel were injured. Releasing the parking brake without first confirming that action with the ground headset operator was improper. I was motivated by the late push to give the best out time possible to the gate agent. At the time I released brakes, the aircraft was attached to the pushback tug and towbar. The aircraft moved backwards on its own, pulling the tractor up onto a check. The tractor rptedly had its parking brake set. Subsequent to this, when we commenced the actual pushback, the aircraft did not move when brakes were released, so I do not think the ramp sloped sufficiently to cause this movement.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ANGLE OF ATTACK VANE DAMAGED WHEN ACFT ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO THE JET BRIDGE.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD BEEN BOARDED AND WE WERE ABOUT TO PUSH 7 MINS LATE OF SCHEDULED DEP TIME. AS THE GATE AGENT CLOSED THE FORWARD CABIN DOOR, I RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE (INTENDING TO DO SO MOMENTARILY TO TRIP THE 'OUT' FUNCTION OF THE ACARS AND THEN TO RESET IT WHILE COORD WITH GND CREW TOOK PLACE). THE ACFT MOVED BACKWARDS ABOUT 18 INCHES, ENOUGH FOR THE JETWAY, WHICH WAS NOT YET RETRACTED FROM THE ACFT, TO IMPACT WITH THE ALPHA VANE ON THE SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. THE ALPHA VANE WAS DAMAGED AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED BY MAINT BEFORE WE DEPARTED. NO GND PERSONNEL WERE INJURED. RELEASING THE PARKING BRAKE WITHOUT FIRST CONFIRMING THAT ACTION WITH THE GND HEADSET OPERATOR WAS IMPROPER. I WAS MOTIVATED BY THE LATE PUSH TO GIVE THE BEST OUT TIME POSSIBLE TO THE GATE AGENT. AT THE TIME I RELEASED BRAKES, THE ACFT WAS ATTACHED TO THE PUSHBACK TUG AND TOWBAR. THE ACFT MOVED BACKWARDS ON ITS OWN, PULLING THE TRACTOR UP ONTO A CHK. THE TRACTOR RPTEDLY HAD ITS PARKING BRAKE SET. SUBSEQUENT TO THIS, WHEN WE COMMENCED THE ACTUAL PUSHBACK, THE ACFT DID NOT MOVE WHEN BRAKES WERE RELEASED, SO I DO NOT THINK THE RAMP SLOPED SUFFICIENTLY TO CAUSE THIS MOVEMENT.

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.