FLC OF S80 HAS MEDICAL EMER ON BOARD AND ASKS TO BE RETURNED TO THE GATE JUST AFTER PUSHBACK. CAPT RELEASES BRAKES PRIOR TO TOW BAR BEING REATTACHED AND ACFT ROLLS FORWARD WITH CREW STILL IN AREA.

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THIS CONCERNS AN INCIDENT AT CLT DURING A PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE ON DEP. DURING THE PUSHBACK THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED THAT A PAX WAS VERY ILL AND ASKED TO RETURN TO THE GATE. I RELAYED THIS INFO TO THE GND CREW DURING THE TIME THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DISCONNECTING THE TOW BAR. I PARKED THE BRAKES AND ASKED THE CREW CHIEF TO RECONNECT THE TOW BAR AND RETURN US TO THE GATE IN ORDER TO GET THE ILL PAX OFF THE AIRPLANE. AS I WAS WAITING FOR THE TOW BAR TO BE RECONNECTED; THE FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME THAT THE PAX HAD STOPPED BREATHING. IT WAS THEN THAT I RELEASED THE BRAKES AND INFORMED THE CREW CHIEF TO TOW US BACK IMMEDIATELY. HOWEVER; THE TOW BAR HAD NOT YET BEEN RECONNECTED. THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THIS AND THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO ROLL FORWARD MAYBE 1 OR 2 FT BEFORE I REALIZED THIS AND THE CREW CHIEF TOLD ME TO SET THE BRAKES AT THE SAME TIME. THE BLAME IS MINE ALONE. THE GND CREW ACTED IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL MANNER. BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSION BEHIND ME IN FIST CLASS I DISREGARDED A BASIC PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENT -- THAT IS TO CHK WITH THE CREW CHIEF BEFORE I RELEASE THE BRAKES. HE HAD NOT INFORMED ME TO RELEASE THE BRAKES. I ASSUMED THAT BECAUSE OF THE TIME THAT HAD ELAPSED AND BECAUSE OF THE URGENCY OF THE EMER THAT THIS WAS COMPLETED. BECAUSE OF THIS; A GND CREW MAN WAS NEARLY SEVERELY INJURED OR WORSE. THE LESSON IS SIMPLE. OUR PROCS SERVE US WELL EVEN IN CRITICAL EMERS. FORGETTING THEM CAN COMPOUND.