Narrative:

I was PIC on flight, scheduled for pushback at xa:25. Our intended route was mobile, al, to houston intercontinental airport, houston, tx. Before power back, a ground marshaller came into the cockpit and advised me to expect a supervised power back with a turn so as to point the aircraft tail south. After that maneuver, we could begin our taxi to the runway. After the aircraft door was closed, we started all 3 engines, completed the after start checklist and signaled with the nose light to the ground marshaller that we were ready to power back. The marshaller directed us backwards and I reversed all 3 engines after moving forward about 1'. As we began to move backward, the marshaller signaled for a turn to point the tail north. Since this was opp to what I had been briefed, I wondered if the procedure was correct but continued to move since I was not familiar with mobil operations. (This was my first flight into mobile, al). The marshaller then signaled to turn the tail south which I did. Within a few seconds we felt a thump. We thought we had run over something with a tire. However, the ground marshaller had directed us in reverse so as our left aileron hit a light pole on the edge of the ramp. We returned to the gate and the aileron was damaged enough to have to be replaced. The ground marshaller seemed to be unattentive and confused. He gave me conflicting signals and was not assertive when we were precariously close to the light pole he never indicated to stop. We could see nothing behind us. I believe that the ground crew was poorly trained with poor communication procedures. They were all new hires. I believe their power back procedures were poor and they were not properly trained or experienced to handle such an important responsibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT POWER BACK RAMP OPERATION CREATES AN ACFT INCIDENT AS ACFT AILERON HITS OBSTRUCTION POLE. ACFT DAMAGED AND RETURNS TO GATE.

Narrative: I WAS PIC ON FLT, SCHEDULED FOR PUSHBACK AT XA:25. OUR INTENDED RTE WAS MOBILE, AL, TO HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL ARPT, HOUSTON, TX. BEFORE PWR BACK, A GND MARSHALLER CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED ME TO EXPECT A SUPERVISED PWR BACK WITH A TURN SO AS TO POINT THE ACFT TAIL S. AFTER THAT MANEUVER, WE COULD BEGIN OUR TAXI TO THE RWY. AFTER THE ACFT DOOR WAS CLOSED, WE STARTED ALL 3 ENGS, COMPLETED THE AFTER START CHKLIST AND SIGNALED WITH THE NOSE LIGHT TO THE GND MARSHALLER THAT WE WERE READY TO PWR BACK. THE MARSHALLER DIRECTED US BACKWARDS AND I REVERSED ALL 3 ENGS AFTER MOVING FORWARD ABOUT 1'. AS WE BEGAN TO MOVE BACKWARD, THE MARSHALLER SIGNALED FOR A TURN TO POINT THE TAIL N. SINCE THIS WAS OPP TO WHAT I HAD BEEN BRIEFED, I WONDERED IF THE PROC WAS CORRECT BUT CONTINUED TO MOVE SINCE I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH MOBIL OPS. (THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT INTO MOBILE, AL). THE MARSHALLER THEN SIGNALED TO TURN THE TAIL S WHICH I DID. WITHIN A FEW SECS WE FELT A THUMP. WE THOUGHT WE HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING WITH A TIRE. HOWEVER, THE GND MARSHALLER HAD DIRECTED US IN REVERSE SO AS OUR L AILERON HIT A LIGHT POLE ON THE EDGE OF THE RAMP. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND THE AILERON WAS DAMAGED ENOUGH TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE GND MARSHALLER SEEMED TO BE UNATTENTIVE AND CONFUSED. HE GAVE ME CONFLICTING SIGNALS AND WAS NOT ASSERTIVE WHEN WE WERE PRECARIOUSLY CLOSE TO THE LIGHT POLE HE NEVER INDICATED TO STOP. WE COULD SEE NOTHING BEHIND US. I BELIEVE THAT THE GND CREW WAS POORLY TRAINED WITH POOR COM PROCS. THEY WERE ALL NEW HIRES. I BELIEVE THEIR PWR BACK PROCS WERE POOR AND THEY WERE NOT PROPERLY TRAINED OR EXPERIENCED TO HANDLE SUCH AN IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.