Narrative:

After long leg, long day, arrived lax -- taxi in uneventful. Concerned about winglet aircraft and complicated taxi in to gate, no room to spare, dual marshallers, followed them exactly. Parked, shut down, called for parking checklist. When first officer called first item, 'parking brake,' I released the brakes and said so. He looked down at the next item. I was looking out. I saw movement and assumed it was jetway approach (as did first officer, who saw movement from corner of eye) until I realized the marshaller was still in front of me with a brakes set signal and his eyes were as big as saucers. I jumped on the brakes and set the parking brake until I got a brake release signal from him. When I went down to check, he said no one had been in the wheel well, which was good because they might have been injured, and that the rear belt loader had already pulled forward, but had been stopped shorter than normal. The marshaller felt otherwise it would have swapped paint with the jet, and I feel the jetway might have contacted, as well, had we gone any farther. The marshaller was very alert. I was not. It is so rare not to get an immediate 'chocks inserted, release brakes' signal after setting brakes and shutting down. We have gone back and forth now whether brakes should be set or released. I was tired. This item is in a bad place on the checklist, whereupon hearing a challenge it is ingrained to take action -- release brakes. The item should be at the end. Having to stand up and unlock the cockpit door for always impatient agents adds to pressure at this moment. This was totally my fault, but if I did it, I think someone else will. I am concerned because so many ramp agents break the rules and enter the wheel well before an all clear signal. If one gets caught down there with this mistake being made, they may be crushed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 CAPT RPTED THAT, DURING PARKING AT LAX, THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED IN THE USUAL MANNER, WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SET IN THIS PARTICULAR SIT.

Narrative: AFTER LONG LEG, LONG DAY, ARRIVED LAX -- TAXI IN UNEVENTFUL. CONCERNED ABOUT WINGLET ACFT AND COMPLICATED TAXI IN TO GATE, NO ROOM TO SPARE, DUAL MARSHALLERS, FOLLOWED THEM EXACTLY. PARKED, SHUT DOWN, CALLED FOR PARKING CHKLIST. WHEN FO CALLED FIRST ITEM, 'PARKING BRAKE,' I RELEASED THE BRAKES AND SAID SO. HE LOOKED DOWN AT THE NEXT ITEM. I WAS LOOKING OUT. I SAW MOVEMENT AND ASSUMED IT WAS JETWAY APCH (AS DID FO, WHO SAW MOVEMENT FROM CORNER OF EYE) UNTIL I REALIZED THE MARSHALLER WAS STILL IN FRONT OF ME WITH A BRAKES SET SIGNAL AND HIS EYES WERE AS BIG AS SAUCERS. I JUMPED ON THE BRAKES AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE UNTIL I GOT A BRAKE RELEASE SIGNAL FROM HIM. WHEN I WENT DOWN TO CHK, HE SAID NO ONE HAD BEEN IN THE WHEEL WELL, WHICH WAS GOOD BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN INJURED, AND THAT THE REAR BELT LOADER HAD ALREADY PULLED FORWARD, BUT HAD BEEN STOPPED SHORTER THAN NORMAL. THE MARSHALLER FELT OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE SWAPPED PAINT WITH THE JET, AND I FEEL THE JETWAY MIGHT HAVE CONTACTED, AS WELL, HAD WE GONE ANY FARTHER. THE MARSHALLER WAS VERY ALERT. I WAS NOT. IT IS SO RARE NOT TO GET AN IMMEDIATE 'CHOCKS INSERTED, RELEASE BRAKES' SIGNAL AFTER SETTING BRAKES AND SHUTTING DOWN. WE HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH NOW WHETHER BRAKES SHOULD BE SET OR RELEASED. I WAS TIRED. THIS ITEM IS IN A BAD PLACE ON THE CHKLIST, WHEREUPON HEARING A CHALLENGE IT IS INGRAINED TO TAKE ACTION -- RELEASE BRAKES. THE ITEM SHOULD BE AT THE END. HAVING TO STAND UP AND UNLOCK THE COCKPIT DOOR FOR ALWAYS IMPATIENT AGENTS ADDS TO PRESSURE AT THIS MOMENT. THIS WAS TOTALLY MY FAULT, BUT IF I DID IT, I THINK SOMEONE ELSE WILL. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE SO MANY RAMP AGENTS BREAK THE RULES AND ENTER THE WHEEL WELL BEFORE AN ALL CLR SIGNAL. IF ONE GETS CAUGHT DOWN THERE WITH THIS MISTAKE BEING MADE, THEY MAY BE CRUSHED.

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.