Narrative:

During pushback from gate; ground crew alerted flight deck to set parking brake immediately (yelling loudly communicating urgency). Tow bar became disengaged from nose gear and with parking brake set aircraft lurched violently. We immediately called to cabin via interphone to ascertain if any crew or passenger were injured. Flight attendants indicated they were startled but no one was injured. We then made a PA to passenger advising what had happened and to remain seated as we called for a mechanic to inspect nose gear for any damage and to ascertain what actually occurred. Mechanic arrived within 3-4 mins and advised us that there was no damage and aircraft could continue operation. He also advised us that the tow bar was not engaged to the nose gear correctly thus causing the premature disconnect. From the flight crew perspective we believe the event occurred due to fatigue/insufficient training of ground crew on proper pushback procedures/equipment use. Ground crews may need additional training/supervision and/or need to take more time/precaution to ensure SOP's are closely followed.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB190 FLT CREW HAS TOW BAR COME LOOSE DURING PUSHBACK AND IS ALERTED BY PUSH CREW. PARKING BRAKE SET WITH ACFT MOVING CAUSING ABRUPT STOP.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK FROM GATE; GND CREW ALERTED FLT DECK TO SET PARKING BRAKE IMMEDIATELY (YELLING LOUDLY COMMUNICATING URGENCY). TOW BAR BECAME DISENGAGED FROM NOSE GEAR AND WITH PARKING BRAKE SET ACFT LURCHED VIOLENTLY. WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED TO CABIN VIA INTERPHONE TO ASCERTAIN IF ANY CREW OR PAX WERE INJURED. FLT ATTENDANTS INDICATED THEY WERE STARTLED BUT NO ONE WAS INJURED. WE THEN MADE A PA TO PAX ADVISING WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND TO REMAIN SEATED AS WE CALLED FOR A MECH TO INSPECT NOSE GEAR FOR ANY DAMAGE AND TO ASCERTAIN WHAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED. MECH ARRIVED WITHIN 3-4 MINS AND ADVISED US THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE AND ACFT COULD CONTINUE OP. HE ALSO ADVISED US THAT THE TOW BAR WAS NOT ENGAGED TO THE NOSE GEAR CORRECTLY THUS CAUSING THE PREMATURE DISCONNECT. FROM THE FLT CREW PERSPECTIVE WE BELIEVE THE EVENT OCCURRED DUE TO FATIGUE/INSUFFICIENT TRAINING OF GND CREW ON PROPER PUSHBACK PROCS/EQUIP USE. GND CREWS MAY NEED ADDITIONAL TRAINING/SUPERVISION AND/OR NEED TO TAKE MORE TIME/PRECAUTION TO ENSURE SOP'S ARE CLOSELY FOLLOWED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.