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An air carrier aircraft was pushed away from the gate by a tug operator unfamiliar with pushback SOP and phraseology.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1115012 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201309 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Hydraulic System |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Captain Pilot Not Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 165 Flight Crew Total 15000 Flight Crew Type 900 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown |
Narrative:
Initial communication with tug operator and initial pushback was SOP. Clearance to start both engines was given during pushback and acknowledged by me. I directed my first officer to start the engines. When pushback was complete; the brakes were set. At that point the tug operator asked me; 'am I cleared to disconnect?' I looked at the ECAM and saw the northwest strg disc message still displayed. I told the tug operator that he was using incorrect terminology; that the northwest strg disc message was displayed and that he was to disconnect the tow bar; then remove the bypass pin. By this time #1 engine was started and I told my first officer to delay starting the number two because of the confusion with the push crew. Note that hydraulic pressure is supplied to nose wheel steering when the #1 engine is started and the bypass pin is removed. I believe the tug crew then removed the bypass pin prior to disconnecting the tow bar. Had the nose gear been cocked it would have immediately centered which could have caused serious injury in the worse case and damage to equipment and the aircraft in the best case. After clearing the push crew we continued with the start and completed the flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: An air carrier aircraft was pushed away from the gate by a tug operator unfamiliar with pushback SOP and phraseology.
Narrative: Initial communication with tug operator and initial pushback was SOP. Clearance to start both engines was given during pushback and acknowledged by me. I directed my First Officer to start the engines. When pushback was complete; the brakes were set. At that point the tug operator asked me; 'Am I cleared to disconnect?' I looked at the ECAM and saw the NW STRG DISC message still displayed. I told the tug operator that he was using incorrect terminology; that the NW STRG DISC message was displayed and that he was to disconnect the tow bar; then remove the bypass pin. By this time #1 Engine was started and I told my First Officer to delay starting the number two because of the confusion with the push crew. Note that hydraulic pressure is supplied to nose wheel steering when the #1 Engine is started and the bypass pin is removed. I believe the tug crew then removed the bypass pin prior to disconnecting the tow bar. Had the nose gear been cocked it would have immediately centered which could have caused serious injury in the worse case and damage to equipment and the aircraft in the best case. After clearing the push crew we continued with the start and completed the flight.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.