Narrative:

After pushback and engine start, I cleared the ground crew of interphone. Due to our location, the push crew clears off to the right of the aircraft. I looked to the right and the first officer looked out his window and said 'clear right' I looked out to the left and forward of aircraft and saw it was clear so I turned on the taxi lights and released the brakes. Almost immediately I felt the aircraft come into contact with something and reset the brakes. When the ground crew came back into interphone contact, I was informed that the tug had not been clear but had been concealed from our sight under the aircraft. Apparently I had come into contact with the towbar. After inspecting for damage to the aircraft, maintenance informed me that there was none. I once again cleared him off headset and visually saw that the tug was clear. I resumed taxi and the flight continued without further incident. A contributing factor in this incident is a difference in procedures between my company and the airline that handles us in sea. We normally have 2 or more ground crewmembers during pushback. 1 of whom remains in visual contact until all equipment is removed and we are cleared to taxi. Unbeknownst to me the airline doing this pushback has 1 person doing the entire procedure. When he cleared off interphone and disappeared from view, I took it to mean that we were cleared to taxi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH UNCOORD TAXI, PREMATURE ACFT MOVEMENT DURING RAMP OP RAMP DEP PUSHBACK PROC.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK AND ENG START, I CLRED THE GND CREW OF INTERPHONE. DUE TO OUR LOCATION, THE PUSH CREW CLRS OFF TO THE R OF THE ACFT. I LOOKED TO THE R AND THE FO LOOKED OUT HIS WINDOW AND SAID 'CLR R' I LOOKED OUT TO THE L AND FORWARD OF ACFT AND SAW IT WAS CLR SO I TURNED ON THE TAXI LIGHTS AND RELEASED THE BRAKES. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY I FELT THE ACFT COME INTO CONTACT WITH SOMETHING AND RESET THE BRAKES. WHEN THE GROUND CREW CAME BACK INTO INTERPHONE CONTACT, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TUG HAD NOT BEEN CLR BUT HAD BEEN CONCEALED FROM OUR SIGHT UNDER THE ACFT. APPARENTLY I HAD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TOWBAR. AFTER INSPECTING FOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, MAINT INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NONE. I ONCE AGAIN CLRED HIM OFF HEADSET AND VISUALLY SAW THAT THE TUG WAS CLR. I RESUMED TAXI AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT IS A DIFFERENCE IN PROCS BTWN MY COMPANY AND THE AIRLINE THAT HANDLES US IN SEA. WE NORMALLY HAVE 2 OR MORE GND CREWMEMBERS DURING PUSHBACK. 1 OF WHOM REMAINS IN VISUAL CONTACT UNTIL ALL EQUIP IS REMOVED AND WE ARE CLRED TO TAXI. UNBEKNOWNST TO ME THE AIRLINE DOING THIS PUSHBACK HAS 1 PERSON DOING THE ENTIRE PROC. WHEN HE CLRED OFF INTERPHONE AND DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW, I TOOK IT TO MEAN THAT WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI.

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.