Embraer Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Person / Animal / Bird
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Aircraft; Procedure; Human Factors
Ferry Flight. No GPU. After start. We were parked between 2 aircraft on a busy ramp. We started engines while line service was assisting other aircraft on the ramp. A lineman saw that we had started engines and approached from the right side of the plane to remove the chocks. At that point we began our after start flows; ran the after start checklist and called Ground Control for taxing instructions. We were cleared to taxi. There was still a lot typical things going on the ramp around the aircraft and there was no one to marshal us out of the parking space. It looked like line service was preoccupied with the other 2 aircraft on the ramp and we wanted to get off the ramp and out of the way (Room to taxi around the other aircraft was not an issue). We cleared left and right and started to pull forward slowly. Just as we started to move the lineman who had removed the chocks reappeared on the left side of the aircraft waving his arms. We were both startled and stopped immediately. The lineman had not been clear of the aircraft before we started to move; however; we did not realize this because we'd been heads down running our after start checklist. We shut down and I went and spoke to the lineman to try to figure out how that could have happened. Apparently I had not seen him because he was not visible from the left cockpit side window. From now on I am going to hold off on any checklist or flow until I have confirmed that all persons are away from the aircraft. Typically when there is a person either disconnecting the GPU or removing chocks there will be a second person giving signals as to the status of the aircraft and will give us the sign to hold position until all are clear. However; this did not happen. I have seen an up-tick in FBO's that do not marshal aircraft out of the parking spaces if we are not in a tight area. Therefore; I actually didn't think anything was out of the norm for FBO operations as I have witnessed as of late. I was shocked that while doing normal after start tasks; that I could lose track of a lineman. While preparing for the flight don't lose situational awareness on the ramp and always insist that someone be there to marshal you off of the ramp. I have always exercised extreme caution on the ramp and will continue to do so going forward.
EMB Captain reported that lack of proper signals and loss of visual contact caused him to begin to taxi while ground personnel were still servicing the aircraft.