A DHC8 crew rolled into a gpu on start. They had not set the parking brake per the checklist.

Attributes
ACN	356924
Time
Date	199612
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx
State Reference	OR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	356924
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	356927
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

I assisted the first officer in conducting the exterior preflight. Upon entering the cockpit, a normal originating flow (including daily items) and checklist was completed. This was followed by a before start checklist. I responded 'set' to the parking brake call and noted to the first officer that 2000 psi was indicated on the accumulator, sufficient pressure for a safe start. Upon start, when bringing the condition levers out of feather, with head down, I noted or felt, movement. I raised my head and, recognizing the problem, immediately set the parking brake. As a result of this rapid braking, the nose moved downward on the nose strut, striking the gpu sender vertically. Minimal damage was sustained to the nose door assembly. I consider myself to be rigid when it comes to procedure and checklist usage, and it is difficult to believe that I said 'set' when in fact the parking brake was not set. The key factor seems to be my interjection into the checklist, of a comment about accumulator pressure, thus diverting both my own and the first officer's attention from the parking brake position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DHC8 CREW ROLLED INTO A GPU ON START. THEY HAD NOT SET THE PARKING BRAKE PER THE CHKLIST.

Narrative: I ASSISTED THE FO IN CONDUCTING THE EXTERIOR PREFLT. UPON ENTERING THE COCKPIT, A NORMAL ORIGINATING FLOW (INCLUDING DAILY ITEMS) AND CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A BEFORE START CHKLIST. I RESPONDED 'SET' TO THE PARKING BRAKE CALL AND NOTED TO THE FO THAT 2000 PSI WAS INDICATED ON THE ACCUMULATOR, SUFFICIENT PRESSURE FOR A SAFE START. UPON START, WHEN BRINGING THE CONDITION LEVERS OUT OF FEATHER, WITH HEAD DOWN, I NOTED OR FELT, MOVEMENT. I RAISED MY HEAD AND, RECOGNIZING THE PROB, IMMEDIATELY SET THE PARKING BRAKE. AS A RESULT OF THIS RAPID BRAKING, THE NOSE MOVED DOWNWARD ON THE NOSE STRUT, STRIKING THE GPU SENDER VERTLY. MINIMAL DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE NOSE DOOR ASSEMBLY. I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE RIGID WHEN IT COMES TO PROC AND CHKLIST USAGE, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT I SAID 'SET' WHEN IN FACT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT SET. THE KEY FACTOR SEEMS TO BE MY INTERJECTION INTO THE CHKLIST, OF A COMMENT ABOUT ACCUMULATOR PRESSURE, THUS DIVERTING BOTH MY OWN AND THE FO'S ATTN FROM THE PARKING BRAKE POS.

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.