Narrative:

Received aircraft with an inoperable APU. Started both engines uneventfully with start cart. Aircraft was to be turned out to taxi; not pushed back; so no headset with ground crew was made available. After start; I signaled the ground crew to disconnect the gpu and start cart. They did so and then inquired through hand signals as to if I would like the chocks pulled. I indicated to them that I would. At all times during the engine starts; there were 3 to 4 rampers present at the immediate front of the aircraft. After I gave the signal to disconnect; the rampers scattered (I believe) to pull the equipment from my aircraft and service an incoming aircraft. After I gave the signal to unchock the aircraft; I lowered my head into the cockpit to do something; I don't remember what. We then put our headsets on and completed the after start check. At this time there were no rampers in view to direct me and about the right amount of time had passed to disconnect the start cart. I could see the rampers servicing the new inbound aircraft. I asked my first officer if he was ready to go and he said he was and called ground for taxi clearance. Clearance was given with the caution that the aircraft to our right was moving as well. As we pulled forward; my first officer was watching the aircraft to the right and saw a ramper run up on his side of the aircraft waving his arms and yelling to stop. I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. It occurred to me then that perhaps the start cart was not disconnected. We called operations to see what was wrong and inquire about the cart. Operations said it looked like it was disconnected. A ramper then stomped past my side of the aircraft and gave me a sort of back handed wave off and then someone who was working on the inbound aircraft turned around and gave us the proper hand signal to taxi. If the cart was attached to the aircraft when we first moved; there was no damage done to the aircraft. Contributing factors: it is not uncommon after I start engines or complete a pushback to have the ramp personnel just turn their back to me and walk away without a proper taxi signal. There was no personnel stationed in front of the aircraft giving me the 'hold' signal until it was clear to go. Most of the stations that we operate out of are short staffed for the tasks they are required to do. This has station personnel being responsible for multiple tasks that need to be done at the same time. Corrective actions: I should wait for or require station personnel to give me a proper taxi out signal. I should not request; nor should station personnel pull the chocks until everything is clear. Ramp personnel should be stationed in front of aircraft until all equipment is clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB 145 FLT CREW STARTS TO TAXI WITHOUT A SALUTE OR RAMP PERSONNEL CLEARING THE ACFT.

Narrative: RECEIVED ACFT WITH AN INOPERABLE APU. STARTED BOTH ENGS UNEVENTFULLY WITH START CART. ACFT WAS TO BE TURNED OUT TO TAXI; NOT PUSHED BACK; SO NO HEADSET WITH GND CREW WAS MADE AVAILABLE. AFTER START; I SIGNALED THE GND CREW TO DISCONNECT THE GPU AND START CART. THEY DID SO AND THEN INQUIRED THROUGH HAND SIGNALS AS TO IF I WOULD LIKE THE CHOCKS PULLED. I INDICATED TO THEM THAT I WOULD. AT ALL TIMES DURING THE ENG STARTS; THERE WERE 3 TO 4 RAMPERS PRESENT AT THE IMMEDIATE FRONT OF THE ACFT. AFTER I GAVE THE SIGNAL TO DISCONNECT; THE RAMPERS SCATTERED (I BELIEVE) TO PULL THE EQUIP FROM MY ACFT AND SERVICE AN INCOMING ACFT. AFTER I GAVE THE SIGNAL TO UNCHOCK THE ACFT; I LOWERED MY HEAD INTO THE COCKPIT TO DO SOMETHING; I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT. WE THEN PUT OUR HEADSETS ON AND COMPLETED THE AFTER START CHK. AT THIS TIME THERE WERE NO RAMPERS IN VIEW TO DIRECT ME AND ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME HAD PASSED TO DISCONNECT THE START CART. I COULD SEE THE RAMPERS SERVICING THE NEW INBND ACFT. I ASKED MY FO IF HE WAS READY TO GO AND HE SAID HE WAS AND CALLED GND FOR TAXI CLRNC. CLRNC WAS GIVEN WITH THE CAUTION THAT THE ACFT TO OUR RIGHT WAS MOVING AS WELL. AS WE PULLED FORWARD; MY FO WAS WATCHING THE ACFT TO THE RIGHT AND SAW A RAMPER RUN UP ON HIS SIDE OF THE ACFT WAVING HIS ARMS AND YELLING TO STOP. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. IT OCCURRED TO ME THEN THAT PERHAPS THE START CART WAS NOT DISCONNECTED. WE CALLED OPS TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG AND INQUIRE ABOUT THE CART. OPS SAID IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS DISCONNECTED. A RAMPER THEN STOMPED PAST MY SIDE OF THE ACFT AND GAVE ME A SORT OF BACK HANDED WAVE OFF AND THEN SOMEONE WHO WAS WORKING ON THE INBND ACFT TURNED AROUND AND GAVE US THE PROPER HAND SIGNAL TO TAXI. IF THE CART WAS ATTACHED TO THE ACFT WHEN WE FIRST MOVED; THERE WAS NO DAMAGE DONE TO THE ACFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: IT IS NOT UNCOMMON AFTER I START ENGS OR COMPLETE A PUSHBACK TO HAVE THE RAMP PERSONNEL JUST TURN THEIR BACK TO ME AND WALK AWAY WITHOUT A PROPER TAXI SIGNAL. THERE WAS NO PERSONNEL STATIONED IN FRONT OF THE ACFT GIVING ME THE 'HOLD' SIGNAL UNTIL IT WAS CLEAR TO GO. MOST OF THE STATIONS THAT WE OPERATE OUT OF ARE SHORT STAFFED FOR THE TASKS THEY ARE REQUIRED TO DO. THIS HAS STATION PERSONNEL BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR MULTIPLE TASKS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: I SHOULD WAIT FOR OR REQUIRE STATION PERSONNEL TO GIVE ME A PROPER TAXI OUT SIGNAL. I SHOULD NOT REQUEST; NOR SHOULD STATION PERSONNEL PULL THE CHOCKS UNTIL EVERYTHING IS CLEAR. RAMP PERSONNEL SHOULD BE STATIONED IN FRONT OF ACFT UNTIL ALL EQUIP IS CLEAR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.