The push back ground crew pushed an medium large transport too far back of gate for deicing encroach...

Attributes
ACN	356300
Time
Date	199612
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	356300
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Directed by company to be deiced at gate. This passed from first officer to captain. Captain coordinated with ramp and push back crew this information. Push crew said needed to push out of gate. When first officer questioned captain and restated 'deice at gate,' captain said push crew would only push aircraft back 'a few ft,' to get away from jetway. Push crew positioned aircraft too far back, admittedly in heavy snow and fog. Aircraft on taxiway east at msp airport felt they should not, or could not pass behind due position and snow windrows caused by plowing. ATC had to redirect aircraft around. Causes: push crew did not know where gate area infringed on active txwys. First officer had never done or seen gate deice at msp. Captain thought push would end in gate area. Additional causes: less than a half mi visibility in heavy snow and fog. Inattn to location by push crew. Side cockpit windows covered with ice and snow, limiting the visibility. First officer had only seen 1 other gate deice (in dtw), where aircraft not moved. Aircraft was deiced uneventfully with coordination of msp ground control. Company safety incident filed by captain in attempt to alert company of problem encountered.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PUSH BACK GND CREW PUSHED AN MLG TOO FAR BACK OF GATE FOR DEICING ENCROACHING ON AN ACTIVE TXWY WHICH CAUSED ATC TO HAVE TO RERTE ACFT AROUND THE ACFT. COMPANY ORDERED THE ACFT DEICED AT GATE, BUT DEICER PERSONNEL FOUND THAT THEY COULD NOT DEICE WITH THE JETWAY NEXT TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: DIRECTED BY COMPANY TO BE DEICED AT GATE. THIS PASSED FROM FO TO CAPT. CAPT COORDINATED WITH RAMP AND PUSH BACK CREW THIS INFO. PUSH CREW SAID NEEDED TO PUSH OUT OF GATE. WHEN FO QUESTIONED CAPT AND RESTATED 'DEICE AT GATE,' CAPT SAID PUSH CREW WOULD ONLY PUSH ACFT BACK 'A FEW FT,' TO GET AWAY FROM JETWAY. PUSH CREW POSITIONED ACFT TOO FAR BACK, ADMITTEDLY IN HVY SNOW AND FOG. ACFT ON TXWY E AT MSP ARPT FELT THEY SHOULD NOT, OR COULD NOT PASS BEHIND DUE POS AND SNOW WINDROWS CAUSED BY PLOWING. ATC HAD TO REDIRECT ACFT AROUND. CAUSES: PUSH CREW DID NOT KNOW WHERE GATE AREA INFRINGED ON ACTIVE TXWYS. FO HAD NEVER DONE OR SEEN GATE DEICE AT MSP. CAPT THOUGHT PUSH WOULD END IN GATE AREA. ADDITIONAL CAUSES: LESS THAN A HALF MI VISIBILITY IN HVY SNOW AND FOG. INATTN TO LOCATION BY PUSH CREW. SIDE COCKPIT WINDOWS COVERED WITH ICE AND SNOW, LIMITING THE VISIBILITY. FO HAD ONLY SEEN 1 OTHER GATE DEICE (IN DTW), WHERE ACFT NOT MOVED. ACFT WAS DEICED UNEVENTFULLY WITH COORD OF MSP GND CTL. COMPANY SAFETY INCIDENT FILED BY CAPT IN ATTEMPT TO ALERT COMPANY OF PROB ENCOUNTERED.

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.