Narrative:

Aircraft arrived late in chs. Ground time minimal and crew busy to leave on time. ACARS had to be reset by pulling circuit breakers. Checklist run and push normal. Cleared by pushback crew to start engines #1 and #2. Started #1. Captain advised push crew starting #2. While starting #2 push crew asked to disconnect and set brakes. Captain set brakes and told push crew to disconnect. #2 engine was stable and generator put on line. After start checklist run and flaps set at 5 degrees, takeoff data was checked by captain and reduced takeoff power was set to 100 degrees F. Ground called by crew and instructed to taxi to runway 21, hold short of runway 15. Elapsed time 3-4 mins. Captain and myself looked out and no one in view. No tug. No push crew or aircraft marshaller for wave off. Couldn't see anyone. Power was advanced and steering was not normal. Aircraft moved forward. Aircraft was stopped by the captain. An first officer saw push crew running from under nose of aircraft. Push crew pulled steering bypass pin and moved tug off. Push crew signaled to leave but was called back to aircraft. Flight crew wanted to talk to push crew on headsets to determine what happened. Push crew had to run back to terminal to get headsets. Flight crew did not receive standard terminology on push-back and assumed that ground crew was inexperienced. With that in mind, flight crew was not surprised when no one in sight and no one on headsets. Ground crew should have let flight crew know there was a problem with the steering bypass pin. Flight crew was not aware there was any problem at all. Lastly, everyone in a hurry to make schedule. Need more slack in schedule for taxi and takeoff time. Making up 10 mins on a 20 min ground time is asking for trouble. This type of rushing sets up a series of events where safety is compromised.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAMP OP RAMP DEP PROC ALL FOULED UP. ACFT HITS TUG DURING TAXI ATTEMPT BUT ISN'T TOLD UNTIL AT DEST ARPT.

Narrative: ACFT ARRIVED LATE IN CHS. GND TIME MINIMAL AND CREW BUSY TO LEAVE ON TIME. ACARS HAD TO BE RESET BY PULLING CIRCUIT BREAKERS. CHKLIST RUN AND PUSH NORMAL. CLRED BY PUSHBACK CREW TO START ENGS #1 AND #2. STARTED #1. CAPT ADVISED PUSH CREW STARTING #2. WHILE STARTING #2 PUSH CREW ASKED TO DISCONNECT AND SET BRAKES. CAPT SET BRAKES AND TOLD PUSH CREW TO DISCONNECT. #2 ENG WAS STABLE AND GENERATOR PUT ON LINE. AFTER START CHKLIST RUN AND FLAPS SET AT 5 DEGS, TKOF DATA WAS CHKED BY CAPT AND REDUCED TKOF PWR WAS SET TO 100 DEGS F. GND CALLED BY CREW AND INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 21, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 15. ELAPSED TIME 3-4 MINS. CAPT AND MYSELF LOOKED OUT AND NO ONE IN VIEW. NO TUG. NO PUSH CREW OR ACFT MARSHALLER FOR WAVE OFF. COULDN'T SEE ANYONE. PWR WAS ADVANCED AND STEERING WAS NOT NORMAL. ACFT MOVED FORWARD. ACFT WAS STOPPED BY THE CAPT. AN FO SAW PUSH CREW RUNNING FROM UNDER NOSE OF ACFT. PUSH CREW PULLED STEERING BYPASS PIN AND MOVED TUG OFF. PUSH CREW SIGNALED TO LEAVE BUT WAS CALLED BACK TO ACFT. FLC WANTED TO TALK TO PUSH CREW ON HEADSETS TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED. PUSH CREW HAD TO RUN BACK TO TERMINAL TO GET HEADSETS. FLC DID NOT RECEIVE STANDARD TERMINOLOGY ON PUSH-BACK AND ASSUMED THAT GND CREW WAS INEXPERIENCED. WITH THAT IN MIND, FLC WAS NOT SURPRISED WHEN NO ONE IN SIGHT AND NO ONE ON HEADSETS. GND CREW SHOULD HAVE LET FLC KNOW THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE STEERING BYPASS PIN. FLC WAS NOT AWARE THERE WAS ANY PROB AT ALL. LASTLY, EVERYONE IN A HURRY TO MAKE SCHEDULE. NEED MORE SLACK IN SCHEDULE FOR TAXI AND TKOF TIME. MAKING UP 10 MINS ON A 20 MIN GND TIME IS ASKING FOR TROUBLE. THIS TYPE OF RUSHING SETS UP A SERIES OF EVENTS WHERE SAFETY IS COMPROMISED.

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.