B737 flight crew reported the aircraft rolled forward uncommanded during push-back. Captain applied brakes to stop aircraft.
Synopsis
B737 flight crew reported the aircraft rolled forward uncommanded during push-back. Captain applied brakes to stop aircraft.
Narrative
Established communication with the pushback crew for a normal pushback from the gate to taxiway 1. Aircraft came to a stop on taxiway 1 and the wingwalker to my left held up wands crossed. I had no other communication from the pushback crew. My FO told me that his wing walker on his side; that I could not see; wanted me to set my brakes. I told my FO to motion to him to come to the other side of the aircraft and communicate with me. At no time were the brakes set hand symbol or verbal communication ever given. The next thing I felt was the aircraft lowering and then it shortly began moving forward not commanded by me. After moving a few feet; I applied the brakes; and the aircraft came to a stop as the pushback tug pulled away. I then gestured for the crew to reestablish communication on the headset. I asked what had happened and the pushback crew said that they had received the brakes set hand signal (which we never gave them). I was also talking to the pushback driver who could see no one in the cockpit. I asked him if the aircraft had hit anything (I didn't think it did) and he said no. The pushback driver couldn't offer me much more information other than they thought the brakes were set and that he couldn't hear me anymore.
Second reporter narrative
We pushed back from the gate onto taxilane 1 with headset comms. We received the instruction to start engines over the headset. As the pushback concluded; we recognized that we weren't hearing anything from the pushback crew. The captain saw the marshaller with her wands crossed. I looked outside and saw a wingwalker making the brakes set sign. The captain asked me to motion the wingwalker to the captain's side. I pointed to the front of the plane. I did NOT make the brakes set signal. The wingwalker procceded to disconnect the headset; the tug disconnected; and the plane rolled forward. We hit the brakes; and the plane stopped. The captain asked the pushback lead to connect via headset. The captain confirmed with the pushback crew that nothing was hit by the plane during the roll. We continued normal operations from that point.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.