Narrative:

I was being pushed back from gate on the ramp (part of the B concourse) at den. The night before it had snowed so some snow was on the windshield that could not be cleared off by the wiper blades. I had a clear view of the ramper, however, and gave him an 'open fist' signal meaning the parking brake was off and I was ready to be pushed back. No passenger or a first officer were on board since the intent of this pushback was solely for me to taxi to a place on the ramp to perform a first flight of the day run- up. The pushback began and I was cleared to start the left engine and after making sure it was clear I started the left engine. At this point I was monitoring the engine start, turning on the left generator while making sure certain annunciators extinguished to show the generator had come on line. I then reached up to the overhead panel to check the voltmeter. Just after checking the voltmeter, I then realized I was rolling. The left propeller of the plane I was in struck the right winglet of aircraft. I braked hard but could not stop in time. I then immediately shut down the left engine. At some point while I was still monitoring the engine start, the pushback had stopped and the ramper disconnected the pushback cart from the airplane without my knowledge. My feet were not on the brakes and I never gave the ramper a 'closed fist' signal meaning the parking brake was set and he could disconnect. I did not feel or notice the movement of the aircraft until it was too late. The aircraft rolled at least 50 ft before coming to a complete stop. I feel there were 2 contributing factors to this incident. First, I should have kept more outside situational awareness and less inside the cockpit. Second, the ramper was too impatient in waiting for my signal. This was my first day on line as a captain and any procedures were done in a slower manner than any other capts with more hours in the BE1900.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE1900 WAS BEING MOVED ON THE RAMP FOR PREFLT CHK AND ENG RUN-UP. CAPT ONLY CREW MEMBER ON BOARD. DURING PUSHBACK AND WHILE CAPT STARTED ENGS, MARSHALLER DISCONNECTED AND THE ACFT MOVED ON ITS OWN, STRIKING ADJOINING ACFT WINGTIP. NO SIGNAL BY THE CAPT TO DISCONNECT.

Narrative: I WAS BEING PUSHED BACK FROM GATE ON THE RAMP (PART OF THE B CONCOURSE) AT DEN. THE NIGHT BEFORE IT HAD SNOWED SO SOME SNOW WAS ON THE WINDSHIELD THAT COULD NOT BE CLRED OFF BY THE WIPER BLADES. I HAD A CLR VIEW OF THE RAMPER, HOWEVER, AND GAVE HIM AN 'OPEN FIST' SIGNAL MEANING THE PARKING BRAKE WAS OFF AND I WAS READY TO BE PUSHED BACK. NO PAX OR A FO WERE ON BOARD SINCE THE INTENT OF THIS PUSHBACK WAS SOLELY FOR ME TO TAXI TO A PLACE ON THE RAMP TO PERFORM A FIRST FLT OF THE DAY RUN- UP. THE PUSHBACK BEGAN AND I WAS CLRED TO START THE L ENG AND AFTER MAKING SURE IT WAS CLR I STARTED THE L ENG. AT THIS POINT I WAS MONITORING THE ENG START, TURNING ON THE L GENERATOR WHILE MAKING SURE CERTAIN ANNUNCIATORS EXTINGUISHED TO SHOW THE GENERATOR HAD COME ON LINE. I THEN REACHED UP TO THE OVERHEAD PANEL TO CHK THE VOLTMETER. JUST AFTER CHKING THE VOLTMETER, I THEN REALIZED I WAS ROLLING. THE L PROP OF THE PLANE I WAS IN STRUCK THE R WINGLET OF ACFT. I BRAKED HARD BUT COULD NOT STOP IN TIME. I THEN IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE L ENG. AT SOME POINT WHILE I WAS STILL MONITORING THE ENG START, THE PUSHBACK HAD STOPPED AND THE RAMPER DISCONNECTED THE PUSHBACK CART FROM THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. MY FEET WERE NOT ON THE BRAKES AND I NEVER GAVE THE RAMPER A 'CLOSED FIST' SIGNAL MEANING THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET AND HE COULD DISCONNECT. I DID NOT FEEL OR NOTICE THE MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. THE ACFT ROLLED AT LEAST 50 FT BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. I FEEL THERE WERE 2 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT. FIRST, I SHOULD HAVE KEPT MORE OUTSIDE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND LESS INSIDE THE COCKPIT. SECOND, THE RAMPER WAS TOO IMPATIENT IN WAITING FOR MY SIGNAL. THIS WAS MY FIRST DAY ON LINE AS A CAPT AND ANY PROCS WERE DONE IN A SLOWER MANNER THAN ANY OTHER CAPTS WITH MORE HRS IN THE BE1900.

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.