Narrative:

Prior to pushback at sfo, instructions were given to the pushback crew, as received from ground control, to wait for the aircraft at gate xx behind us, to push back clear and then push at our discretion. This gate is not visible from the cockpit as it's directly behind the aircraft. As we pushed back past gate xx we noticed that the aircraft we were told to hold for was till in the gate! The pushback crew had not waited as instructed. When asked why they did not comply with instructions, the pushback crew responded that the crew pushing the other aircraft had signaled our aircraft to go first. The problem is that our crew did not inform us of the situation and stop to get clearance from ground control to change the sequence. On another unrelated occasion, I have given a pushback crew clearance to push, and without telling us, they have unplugged their headset and walked beside the aircraft. Also related, some contract pushback crews (especially at sfo) cannot speak english well enough to be understood over the aircraft interphone. For 2-WAY communication to occur they need to be able to understand english and be understandable over an aircraft interphone without the assistance of body english or lip reading! Pushback crews need to understand ground control's authority and the importance of exact compliance with their instructions. From what I've seen over the past few yrs (compliments of dereg) I think more thorough training of ground crews is in order! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the ground controller did ask if the flight crew understood they were to hold for another aircraft but when the situation was explained ground controller was able to alter the sequence with no problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT PUSHED BACK OUT OF SEQUENCE AT SFO.

Narrative: PRIOR TO PUSHBACK AT SFO, INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN TO THE PUSHBACK CREW, AS RECEIVED FROM GND CTL, TO WAIT FOR THE ACFT AT GATE XX BEHIND US, TO PUSH BACK CLR AND THEN PUSH AT OUR DISCRETION. THIS GATE IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT AS IT'S DIRECTLY BEHIND THE ACFT. AS WE PUSHED BACK PAST GATE XX WE NOTICED THAT THE ACFT WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD FOR WAS TILL IN THE GATE! THE PUSHBACK CREW HAD NOT WAITED AS INSTRUCTED. WHEN ASKED WHY THEY DID NOT COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS, THE PUSHBACK CREW RESPONDED THAT THE CREW PUSHING THE OTHER ACFT HAD SIGNALED OUR ACFT TO GO FIRST. THE PROBLEM IS THAT OUR CREW DID NOT INFORM US OF THE SITUATION AND STOP TO GET CLRNC FROM GND CTL TO CHANGE THE SEQUENCE. ON ANOTHER UNRELATED OCCASION, I HAVE GIVEN A PUSHBACK CREW CLRNC TO PUSH, AND WITHOUT TELLING US, THEY HAVE UNPLUGGED THEIR HEADSET AND WALKED BESIDE THE ACFT. ALSO RELATED, SOME CONTRACT PUSHBACK CREWS (ESPECIALLY AT SFO) CANNOT SPEAK ENGLISH WELL ENOUGH TO BE UNDERSTOOD OVER THE ACFT INTERPHONE. FOR 2-WAY COM TO OCCUR THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ENGLISH AND BE UNDERSTANDABLE OVER AN ACFT INTERPHONE WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF BODY ENGLISH OR LIP READING! PUSHBACK CREWS NEED TO UNDERSTAND GND CTL'S AUTHORITY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EXACT COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST FEW YRS (COMPLIMENTS OF DEREG) I THINK MORE THOROUGH TRAINING OF GND CREWS IS IN ORDER! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE GND CTLR DID ASK IF THE FLC UNDERSTOOD THEY WERE TO HOLD FOR ANOTHER ACFT BUT WHEN THE SITUATION WAS EXPLAINED GND CTLR WAS ABLE TO ALTER THE SEQUENCE WITH NO PROBLEM.

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.