B737 flight crew given instruction by ground to not allow push onto taxiway. Ground personnel indica...

Attributes
ACN	366812
Time
Date	199704
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 19500 flight time type : 14500
ASRS Report	366812
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On pushback from gate ground told me to not block taxiway B. I talk to the guy on the ground with the headset, he has to yell to the tug driver. Their procedures, directed by the tower are to push to the taxiway because of jet blast in the gate area. All I can do is relay instructions. Ground has a policy, but then wants it modified on the spot and the ground guys are told not to deviate. San diego has become a real problem lately. For me to use the brakes to stop the aircraft could break the towbar and injure the ground crewman on the headset. There seems to be a perceived prejudice toward some carriers and away from others. This is a common problem at several airports. Human nature I guess. First come first served or fairness are not part of the program. While you are here, using centigrade in ATIS is a hassle. The scale is crude, okay for algebra and scientific uses. The scale graduations are too big and uncommon for us. It needs to be changed. Haagen dazs, the ATIS guy, needs to go back to fargo. Maybe he understands centigrade. Wasn't octavius celsius with caesar at the forum? I don't do algebra anymore, I have no use for his inaccurate thermometer. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft is a B737 and he was primarily sending us the report in case the ground controller decided this was a reportable violation. He says the flight crew is caught in the middle when the controller wants the aircraft held prior to the taxiway and the tug operator indicates he cannot do that because of a LOA with ATC to push onto the taxiway. Apparently the controller was having a bad day and was screaming at reporter to remain clear of the taxiway. Several company people have been violated recently and reporter felt it was wise to protect himself. Reporter does carry a conversion chart but is upset that the FAA has chosen to use celsius and especially on the computer generated ATIS voice. It is hard to understand. FAA hotline number was given to reporter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC GIVEN INSTRUCTION BY GND TO NOT ALLOW PUSH ONTO TXWY. GND PERSONNEL INDICATE THE AGREEMENT WITH ATC IS TO PUSH ONTO THE TXWY TO AVOID JET BLAST PROBS. FLC RELAYS THE INSTRUCTIONS TO GND WHO WILL NOT COMPLY.

Narrative: ON PUSHBACK FROM GATE GND TOLD ME TO NOT BLOCK TXWY B. I TALK TO THE GUY ON THE GND WITH THE HEADSET, HE HAS TO YELL TO THE TUG DRIVER. THEIR PROCS, DIRECTED BY THE TWR ARE TO PUSH TO THE TXWY BECAUSE OF JET BLAST IN THE GATE AREA. ALL I CAN DO IS RELAY INSTRUCTIONS. GND HAS A POLICY, BUT THEN WANTS IT MODIFIED ON THE SPOT AND THE GND GUYS ARE TOLD NOT TO DEVIATE. SAN DIEGO HAS BECOME A REAL PROB LATELY. FOR ME TO USE THE BRAKES TO STOP THE ACFT COULD BREAK THE TOWBAR AND INJURE THE GND CREWMAN ON THE HEADSET. THERE SEEMS TO BE A PERCEIVED PREJUDICE TOWARD SOME CARRIERS AND AWAY FROM OTHERS. THIS IS A COMMON PROB AT SEVERAL ARPTS. HUMAN NATURE I GUESS. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED OR FAIRNESS ARE NOT PART OF THE PROGRAM. WHILE YOU ARE HERE, USING CENTIGRADE IN ATIS IS A HASSLE. THE SCALE IS CRUDE, OKAY FOR ALGEBRA AND SCIENTIFIC USES. THE SCALE GRADUATIONS ARE TOO BIG AND UNCOMMON FOR US. IT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. HAAGEN DAZS, THE ATIS GUY, NEEDS TO GO BACK TO FARGO. MAYBE HE UNDERSTANDS CENTIGRADE. WASN'T OCTAVIUS CELSIUS WITH CAESAR AT THE FORUM? I DON'T DO ALGEBRA ANYMORE, I HAVE NO USE FOR HIS INACCURATE THERMOMETER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT IS A B737 AND HE WAS PRIMARILY SENDING US THE RPT IN CASE THE GND CTLR DECIDED THIS WAS A REPORTABLE VIOLATION. HE SAYS THE FLC IS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE WHEN THE CTLR WANTS THE ACFT HELD PRIOR TO THE TXWY AND THE TUG OPERATOR INDICATES HE CANNOT DO THAT BECAUSE OF A LOA WITH ATC TO PUSH ONTO THE TXWY. APPARENTLY THE CTLR WAS HAVING A BAD DAY AND WAS SCREAMING AT RPTR TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TXWY. SEVERAL COMPANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VIOLATED RECENTLY AND RPTR FELT IT WAS WISE TO PROTECT HIMSELF. RPTR DOES CARRY A CONVERSION CHART BUT IS UPSET THAT THE FAA HAS CHOSEN TO USE CELSIUS AND ESPECIALLY ON THE COMPUTER GENERATED ATIS VOICE. IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND. FAA HOTLINE NUMBER WAS GIVEN TO RPTR.

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.

B737 flight crew given instruction by ground to not allow push onto taxiway. Ground personnel indicate the agreement with ATC is to push onto the taxiway to avoid jet blast problems. Flight crew relays the instructions to ground who will not comply.