FAILURE TO COORDINATE BRAKE RELEASE AND PUSHBACK RESULTS IN B737-300 HAVING MINOR COLLISION WITH BELT LOADER.

Narrative

AFTER DEPLANING PAX AT THE GATE; OPS AGENT SAID THAT JET NEEDED TO BE PUSHED BACK A LITTLE BIT SO HE COULD LINE UP JETWAY. RAMPER HAD PROBS GETTING TUG STARTED; BUT EVENTUALLY EITHER REPLACED THE TUG OR GOT IT RUNNING. OPS SAID HE WAS READY TO REPOSITION; I WALKED THROUGH THE ENTRY DOOR; OPS CLOSED THE DOOR BEHIND ME AND I COULD HEAR THE JETWAY PULLING BACK. AS I WAS TAKING MY SEAT; I COULD HEAR THE TUG REVVING UP. AS I WAS SELECTING FLT INTERPHONE; THE RAMPER COMMENCED THE PUSHBACK WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SET. I WAS QUITE SURPRISED THAT NO COM WAS ESTABLISHED PRIOR TO THIS TIME AND WAS CONCERNED HE WOULD BREAK THE TOW BAR OR DAMAGE THE NOSE GEAR; SO I RELEASED THE BRAKES. WE MOVED BACK ABOUT 1 FT AND STOPPED. I WENT DOWN TO TALK TO THE RAMPER ABOUT THE EVOLUTION AND WHEN I SAW HIM HE THREW HIS HANDS IN THE AIR; QUITE AGITATED; AND SAID 'THIS ACFT IS OTS; THEY DIDN'T LOWER THE BELT LOADER' OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THE ACFT HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE BELT LOADER AT THE LOWER R CORNER OF THE AFT CARGO DOOR FRAME. OPS; MAINT; DISPATCH; SOD; CP WERE ALL NOTIFIED. LOGBOOK ENTRY MADE. SCRATCH/DENT WAS WITHIN LIMITS; MAINT COMPLIED WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS; LOGBOOK SIGNED OFF; DELAYED 24 MINS. ABSOLUTE UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME SORT OF COM NEEDS TO OCCUR PRIOR TO MOVING A JET. I COULD HAVE LEFT THE PARKING BRAKE SET; BUT AGAIN I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE TOW BAR WOULD BREAK; ETC.