A B744 CREW; AFTER STOPPING IN THE ALLEYWAY AT LAX; NEGLECTED TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN.

Narrative

AFTER LNDG IN LAX ON RWY 25L; AND CONDUCTING THE LAST LEG OF A 6 DAY INTL CAPT IOE; OUR FLT WAS CLRED TO CROSS RWY 25R AND THEN TO CONTACT GND CTL. GND INSTRUCTED US TO TURN ONTO TXWY AND HOLD SHORT. WHILE HOLDING SHORT; WE WERE ADVISED THAT GATE WAS OCCUPIED. A B400 PUSHED BACK FROM GATE AND OUT FLT WAS CLRED TO THE GATE. ESTABLISHED ON THE GATE LEAD-IN LINE AND TAXIING TOWARD THE GATE; THE IOE CAPT IN THE L SEAT NOTICED THAT THE RED STOP LIGHT WAS ON; AS DID I; AND HE CORRECTLY BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A FULL STOP. THE APU WAS ON THE BUS AND THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE ENGS TO BE SHUT DOWN. I ACCOMPLISHED THE ENG SHUTDOWN AND TURNED OFF THE ROTATING BEACON. AN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS THEN MADE TO THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED AS THE ACFT STILL NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE GATE. WHILE I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE; I FELT AN ABRUPT MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT. INITIALLY; I THOUGHT THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN HIT BY SOMETHING. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND LOOKING OVER AT THE IOE CAPT; WHILE HE WAS LOOKING DIRECTLY AT ME; HE ANNUNCIATED 'THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED' -- APPARENTLY; BECAUSE HE HAD NOT SET THE BRAKES. THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN; FOLLOWED BY A RESULTANT LOSS OF THRUST. THE ACFT STARTED AN UNDETECTED INSIDIOUSLY SLOW BACKWARDS MOVEMENT. THE OPERATING EXPERIENCE CAPT AT SOME POINT RECOGNIZED THIS AND IMMEDIATELY STEPPED ON THE BRAKES; CAUSING A SLIGHT LURCHING BACKWARD MOVEMENT. FORTUNATELY; THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO GND PERSONNEL NOR ACFT DAMAGE. AFTER A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH A MECH; THE ACFT WAS PROPERLY CONFIGURED AND THE ACFT WAS TOWED IN TO THE GATE AND THE PARKING BRAKE WAS AGAIN SET. SUBSEQUENT TO ACCOMPLISHING THE PARKING CHKLIST; THE 2 RELIEF FO'S; THE IOE CAPT; AND I DISCUSSED WHAT HAD JUST OCCURRED. I WAS TRYING TO DETERMINE WHERE THE BREAKDOWN HAPPENED. THE IOE CAPT STATED; 'I FORGOT TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE.' I/WE CONCLUDED THAT IN THE FUTURE; I/WE; AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE CREW; MUST BE MORE VIGILANT AND AVOID DISTR WHILE CONTINUING TO REINFORCE ALL PRIORITIES. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON MY WATCH AND I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY.