Aircraft moved without flight crew permission.

Attributes
ACN	295153
Time
Date	199502
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13600 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	295153
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While parked at the gate in miami awaiting pushback, the tug driver called the cockpit about 3 times. The captain responded several times, but the tug driver could not hear the cockpit response. Then (within about 20 seconds) the tug driver just pushed the aircraft back about 2 or 3 ft without radio contact or without any attempt to establish hand signals or any form of communication by lights (it was still dark) or getting our attention to outside the aircraft in any fashion. The captain and first officer immediately began to blink all the taxi and landing lights rapidly. We were panicked because the airplane moved suddenly and without any warning. The aircraft stopped and the captain immediately opened his side window and hung outside and yelled to the tug driver not to move the aircraft before he talked to us and told the tug driver that we received his call, but that he obviously could not hear us. He said he was just moving the aircraft to get the chocks out. He suggested using hand signals but the captain demanded that he get a working headset. After changing headsets, 2-WAY radio contact was established. The captain warned the tug driver never to move an airplane without 2-WAY communication because the brakes might have been set. The aircraft was then pushed away from the gate without further incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT MOVED WITHOUT FLC PERMISSION.

Narrative: WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE IN MIAMI AWAITING PUSHBACK, THE TUG DRIVER CALLED THE COCKPIT ABOUT 3 TIMES. THE CAPT RESPONDED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE TUG DRIVER COULD NOT HEAR THE COCKPIT RESPONSE. THEN (WITHIN ABOUT 20 SECONDS) THE TUG DRIVER JUST PUSHED THE ACFT BACK ABOUT 2 OR 3 FT WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT OR WITHOUT ANY ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH HAND SIGNALS OR ANY FORM OF COM BY LIGHTS (IT WAS STILL DARK) OR GETTING OUR ATTN TO OUTSIDE THE ACFT IN ANY FASHION. THE CAPT AND FO IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO BLINK ALL THE TAXI AND LNDG LIGHTS RAPIDLY. WE WERE PANICKED BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE MOVED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE ACFT STOPPED AND THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY OPENED HIS SIDE WINDOW AND HUNG OUTSIDE AND YELLED TO THE TUG DRIVER NOT TO MOVE THE ACFT BEFORE HE TALKED TO US AND TOLD THE TUG DRIVER THAT WE RECEIVED HIS CALL, BUT THAT HE OBVIOUSLY COULD NOT HEAR US. HE SAID HE WAS JUST MOVING THE ACFT TO GET THE CHOCKS OUT. HE SUGGESTED USING HAND SIGNALS BUT THE CAPT DEMANDED THAT HE GET A WORKING HEADSET. AFTER CHANGING HEADSETS, 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED. THE CAPT WARNED THE TUG DRIVER NEVER TO MOVE AN AIRPLANE WITHOUT 2-WAY COM BECAUSE THE BRAKES MIGHT HAVE BEEN SET. THE ACFT WAS THEN PUSHED AWAY FROM THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.