MD80 flight crew during pushback for start has a miscom with the ramp pushback crew. Communication i...

Narrative:

During pushback; discovered that APU would not deliver air for engine start. Captain parked brakes and instructed crew to remain connected while we were troubleshooting; but they disconnected anyway. Several mins elapsed while we carried on radio communication with ramp and maintenance about the problem. Everyone was in favor of towing back to the gate; but the ground crew refused to hook up -- they said that some ramp agents had gone on break; and the available agents were not comfortable with towing the airplane in -- they only knew how to push it out. The situation was chaotic; with some ramp conversation carried out through open cockpit windows. At some point the tug and tow bar was reconnected; and parking brakes released; in preparation for towing back to gate. Suddenly the captain realized that air was available from the APU -- the problem fixed itself -- called the available ramp crew to the aircraft to disconnect. The ramp crew did not establish communications; and decided to disconnect the tug and tow bar on their own authority/authorized. I was not aware that the brakes were not parked. After the first engine start was complete; I noticed the airplane was rolling forward; so I immediately stepped on the brakes. It appeared the ground crew had jumped clear -- the airplane didn't move more than a couple of ft. While the circumstances that led to this were unusual; there are some clear weaknesses in our procedures and protocol that contributed to the event. Fist; the final 'start/push' items on the checklist do not have any reference to the parking brake; so there is no backstop for memory on this important item -- the parking brake item is in the wrong place on the checklist. Secondly; the cockpit protocol does not keep the first officer sufficiently in the loop regarding all start-related activity -- like the parking brake. Third; the captain did not call for any checklist before start because the 'before start' checklist had already been completed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW DURING PUSHBACK FOR START HAS A MISCOM WITH THE RAMP PUSHBACK CREW. COM IS NOT PROPERLY ESTABLISHED; THE TOW BAR IS DISCONNECTED; THE ACFT ROLLS FORWARD PRIOR TO BRAKES BEING SET.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK; DISCOVERED THAT APU WOULD NOT DELIVER AIR FOR ENG START. CAPT PARKED BRAKES AND INSTRUCTED CREW TO REMAIN CONNECTED WHILE WE WERE TROUBLESHOOTING; BUT THEY DISCONNECTED ANYWAY. SEVERAL MINS ELAPSED WHILE WE CARRIED ON RADIO COM WITH RAMP AND MAINT ABOUT THE PROB. EVERYONE WAS IN FAVOR OF TOWING BACK TO THE GATE; BUT THE GND CREW REFUSED TO HOOK UP -- THEY SAID THAT SOME RAMP AGENTS HAD GONE ON BREAK; AND THE AVAILABLE AGENTS WERE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH TOWING THE AIRPLANE IN -- THEY ONLY KNEW HOW TO PUSH IT OUT. THE SITUATION WAS CHAOTIC; WITH SOME RAMP CONVERSATION CARRIED OUT THROUGH OPEN COCKPIT WINDOWS. AT SOME POINT THE TUG AND TOW BAR WAS RECONNECTED; AND PARKING BRAKES RELEASED; IN PREPARATION FOR TOWING BACK TO GATE. SUDDENLY THE CAPT REALIZED THAT AIR WAS AVAILABLE FROM THE APU -- THE PROB FIXED ITSELF -- CALLED THE AVAILABLE RAMP CREW TO THE ACFT TO DISCONNECT. THE RAMP CREW DID NOT ESTABLISH COMS; AND DECIDED TO DISCONNECT THE TUG AND TOW BAR ON THEIR OWN AUTH. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT PARKED. AFTER THE FIRST ENG START WAS COMPLETE; I NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WAS ROLLING FORWARD; SO I IMMEDIATELY STEPPED ON THE BRAKES. IT APPEARED THE GND CREW HAD JUMPED CLR -- THE AIRPLANE DIDN'T MOVE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF FT. WHILE THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO THIS WERE UNUSUAL; THERE ARE SOME CLR WEAKNESSES IN OUR PROCS AND PROTOCOL THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT. FIST; THE FINAL 'START/PUSH' ITEMS ON THE CHKLIST DO NOT HAVE ANY REF TO THE PARKING BRAKE; SO THERE IS NO BACKSTOP FOR MEMORY ON THIS IMPORTANT ITEM -- THE PARKING BRAKE ITEM IS IN THE WRONG PLACE ON THE CHKLIST. SECONDLY; THE COCKPIT PROTOCOL DOES NOT KEEP THE FO SUFFICIENTLY IN THE LOOP REGARDING ALL START-RELATED ACTIVITY -- LIKE THE PARKING BRAKE. THIRD; THE CAPT DID NOT CALL FOR ANY CHKLIST BEFORE START BECAUSE THE 'BEFORE START' CHKLIST HAD ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED.

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.

Attributes
ACN	686461
Time
Date	200602
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	686461
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : person non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Airport Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

MD80 flight crew during pushback for start has a miscom with the ramp pushback crew. Communication is not properly established; the tow bar is disconnected; the aircraft rolls forward prior to brakes being set.