A commercial fixed wing medium large transport aircraft was pushed back off a gate at night with the left engine not operating, the APU inoperative and the left lighting bus unpwred and was almost struck by a taxiing aircraft.

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Attributes
ACN	388764
Time
Date	199712
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hpn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	388764
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

APU inoperative. Mechanic only wanted 1 engine started. Pushed us back into middle of alley. He had a bad headset and used nonstandard terminology, so I couldn't communicate with him adequately. Taxied out single engine (left engine off). Taxi lights and aircraft lighting are on left bus, so they were inoperative. A B737-200 came right for us and veered away at the last min. Scared me. Had no taxi light to warn him of our presence in dark area of ramp. Didn't like the whole procedure. My warning bells were going off from the time the mechanic refused to start the second engine at the gate. Naturally, an FAA inspector was on board.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING MLG ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK OFF A GATE AT NIGHT WITH THE L ENG NOT OPERATING, THE APU INOP AND THE L LIGHTING BUS UNPWRED AND WAS ALMOST STRUCK BY A TAXIING ACFT.

Narrative: APU INOP. MECH ONLY WANTED 1 ENG STARTED. PUSHED US BACK INTO MIDDLE OF ALLEY. HE HAD A BAD HEADSET AND USED NONSTANDARD TERMINOLOGY, SO I COULDN'T COMMUNICATE WITH HIM ADEQUATELY. TAXIED OUT SINGLE ENG (L ENG OFF). TAXI LIGHTS AND ACFT LIGHTING ARE ON L BUS, SO THEY WERE INOP. A B737-200 CAME RIGHT FOR US AND VEERED AWAY AT THE LAST MIN. SCARED ME. HAD NO TAXI LIGHT TO WARN HIM OF OUR PRESENCE IN DARK AREA OF RAMP. DIDN'T LIKE THE WHOLE PROC. MY WARNING BELLS WERE GOING OFF FROM THE TIME THE MECH REFUSED TO START THE SECOND ENG AT THE GATE. NATURALLY, AN FAA INSPECTOR WAS ON BOARD.

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.