Narrative:

Power back miscom. Ground personnel checked in on headset prior to departure and briefed a 'power back with a left turn.' after engines started we began the power back. During the power back the ground man gave the signal for a right turn. Since I was primed by the briefing for a left turn I then began a left turn. This rightly excited the ground man who stopped me, brought me forward and began the power back again. Again he gave the signal for a right turn and again I turned left. By this time the ground man was pretty frustrated. We finished the power back straight back and the flight departed. Departing I saw another flight on the taxiway behind us that we would have been nose to nose with had I turned as I was trying to do. The briefing said a left turn so even though he was giving a right turn, in my mind I had locked into a left turn. I don't know if the ground man changed the turn direction after the briefing or briefed the turn in the wrong direction. In either case he did give the proper signals for what he really wanted even though I kept turning the other way. I don't have a suggestion for a solution. The system worked as it was supposed to in that he used the proper signals to stop the aircraft from doing something he didn't want it to do and got the problem sorted out and the flight departed without incident or compromising safety. A good job by the ground man in the face of confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION REIGNS IN COCKPIT DURING PWR BACK MANEUVER. CAPT FAILS TO FOLLOW MARSHALLER'S SIGNAL FOR TURN IN PROPER DIRECTION.

Narrative: PWR BACK MISCOM. GND PERSONNEL CHKED IN ON HEADSET PRIOR TO DEP AND BRIEFED A 'PWR BACK WITH A L TURN.' AFTER ENGS STARTED WE BEGAN THE PWR BACK. DURING THE PWR BACK THE GND MAN GAVE THE SIGNAL FOR A R TURN. SINCE I WAS PRIMED BY THE BRIEFING FOR A L TURN I THEN BEGAN A L TURN. THIS RIGHTLY EXCITED THE GND MAN WHO STOPPED ME, BROUGHT ME FORWARD AND BEGAN THE PWR BACK AGAIN. AGAIN HE GAVE THE SIGNAL FOR A R TURN AND AGAIN I TURNED L. BY THIS TIME THE GND MAN WAS PRETTY FRUSTRATED. WE FINISHED THE PWR BACK STRAIGHT BACK AND THE FLT DEPARTED. DEPARTING I SAW ANOTHER FLT ON THE TXWY BEHIND US THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN NOSE TO NOSE WITH HAD I TURNED AS I WAS TRYING TO DO. THE BRIEFING SAID A L TURN SO EVEN THOUGH HE WAS GIVING A R TURN, IN MY MIND I HAD LOCKED INTO A L TURN. I DON'T KNOW IF THE GND MAN CHANGED THE TURN DIRECTION AFTER THE BRIEFING OR BRIEFED THE TURN IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. IN EITHER CASE HE DID GIVE THE PROPER SIGNALS FOR WHAT HE REALLY WANTED EVEN THOUGH I KEPT TURNING THE OTHER WAY. I DON'T HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR A SOLUTION. THE SYS WORKED AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO IN THAT HE USED THE PROPER SIGNALS TO STOP THE ACFT FROM DOING SOMETHING HE DIDN'T WANT IT TO DO AND GOT THE PROB SORTED OUT AND THE FLT DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT OR COMPROMISING SAFETY. A GOOD JOB BY THE GND MAN IN THE FACE OF CONFUSION.

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.