MDT ACFT BEGINS TO ROLL AFTER ENG START; STRIKES GPU WITH RESULTANT DAMAGE. BRAKES WERE NOT PROPERLY SET.

Narrative

RESERVE CAPT AND FO WERE ASSIGNED THE DUTY OF FERRYING ACFT FROM ORD TO MKE SO THAT IT COULD BE PUT IN REVENUE SVC AS AN ORIGINATING FLT THE FOLLOWING MORNING. AFTER BOTH ENGS WERE STARTED; CAPT SIGNALS RAMP AGENT TO DISCONNECT THE GPU AND REMOVE WHEEL CHOCKS. DURING SUBSEQUENT COMPLETION OF THE 'AFTER-START CHKLIST;' A SOUND WAS HEARD BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS ACCOMPANIED BY A MILD SHUDDER. INITIALLY; BOTH CREW MEMBERS THOUGHT THAT THE TUG TOWING GPU STRUCK THE ACFT WHILE PULLING AWAY. CAPT WAS FIRST TO REALIZE THAT THE ACFT WAS IN MOTION AND HE THEN IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES. PARKING BRAKE WAS RESET AND ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN. COMPANY OPS AND MAINT WERE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED. ACFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO RADOME AND R FORWARD FUSELAGE. BOTH CAPT AND FO WERE UNCLR AS TO WHY PARKING BRAKE HANDLE WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE RELEASED POS AFTER THE ENGS WERE STARTED DESPITE BEING VISUALLY CONFIRMED IN THE PARK POS PRIOR TO ENG START AND AS PER 'AFTER-START CHKLIST.' AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS; PARKING BRAKE HANDLE WAS FOUND TO HAVE A TENDENCY TO STICK NEAR THE PARK POS WITHOUT ACTUALLY BEING ENGAGED. THIS WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE CREW THE IMPRESSION THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ENGAGED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME EITHER CREW MEMBER ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM IN THIS TYPE ACFT. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS INCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF NIGHTTIME VISUAL CUES WHICH DELAYED THE CREW'S REACTION TO THE ACFT BEING IN MOTION. ALSO; THE USE OF AN INTERPHONE SYS BTWN THE COCKPIT AND RAMP AGENTS WOULD HAVE PROVIDED A DIRECT MEANS OF COM PERHAPS PREVENTING THE INCIDENT. SUCH A SYS IS INSTALLED IN THE ACFT; HOWEVER; RAMP SVC IS NOT ALWAYS PROVIDED WITH HEADSETS AND; THEREFORE; COM RESORTS TO HAND SIGNALS ONLY.