Narrative:

Our flight was about to push from gate at dtw. We asked for clearance from ground and they told us to call at the circle for taxi and they had no control of that area. We then called our operations to see if we needed a clearance to push from the gate and they told us no clearance required. We pushed from gate and we were being towed to the circle when another aircraft said ramp control was trying to get a hold of us. When contacted they said they controled pushes in that area and we had cut off another aircraft's push. No close calls and no danger to ground or passenger personnel occurred. We explained we exhausted all means of determining who controled pushes but they would not listen. There also is nothing written around the jetway to indicate a call for pushback is required. There also are no centerline markings between the concourses to indicate adequate clearance from parked aircraft. This is very hazardous when taxiing at night or in rain. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the gate they were using is seldom used by company. The gates between the concourses are controled by another air carrier's ramp control and there are signs on the terminal indicating a frequency to contact ramp. There was no sign on the gate at which they were parked. Reporter even contacted operations for the dtw metropolitan airport who told them no contact necessary. It seems they were wrong and got into a bit of a tiff with air carrier X about the lack of proper information. Normally the aircraft are towed to a circle and then contact ground from these gates. Since air carrier X controls some of the area it is confusing whether contact is necessary. Reporter suggestion is to have a sign on the terminal indicating a frequency contact is necessary or a sign specifically indicating no contact needed. Reporter is also concerned regarding the lack of markings for taxi into gate. The alleyways are tight and with no markings the pilot is 'on his own' in this area. With no ability to see the wingtips this can be very disconcerting, especially at night. There is a 2-WAY road which has markings, but none for taxi. This needs improvement.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MD82 IS CHASTISED BY RAMP CTL FOR PUSHBACK WITHOUT CONTACT. ALL INFO FLC RECEIVED SAID NO CONTACT NECESSARY.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS ABOUT TO PUSH FROM GATE AT DTW. WE ASKED FOR CLRNC FROM GND AND THEY TOLD US TO CALL AT THE CIRCLE FOR TAXI AND THEY HAD NO CTL OF THAT AREA. WE THEN CALLED OUR OPS TO SEE IF WE NEEDED A CLRNC TO PUSH FROM THE GATE AND THEY TOLD US NO CLRNC REQUIRED. WE PUSHED FROM GATE AND WE WERE BEING TOWED TO THE CIRCLE WHEN ANOTHER ACFT SAID RAMP CTL WAS TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF US. WHEN CONTACTED THEY SAID THEY CTLED PUSHES IN THAT AREA AND WE HAD CUT OFF ANOTHER ACFT'S PUSH. NO CLOSE CALLS AND NO DANGER TO GND OR PAX PERSONNEL OCCURRED. WE EXPLAINED WE EXHAUSTED ALL MEANS OF DETERMINING WHO CTLED PUSHES BUT THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN. THERE ALSO IS NOTHING WRITTEN AROUND THE JETWAY TO INDICATE A CALL FOR PUSHBACK IS REQUIRED. THERE ALSO ARE NO CTRLINE MARKINGS BTWN THE CONCOURSES TO INDICATE ADEQUATE CLRNC FROM PARKED ACFT. THIS IS VERY HAZARDOUS WHEN TAXIING AT NIGHT OR IN RAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE GATE THEY WERE USING IS SELDOM USED BY COMPANY. THE GATES BTWN THE CONCOURSES ARE CTLED BY ANOTHER ACR'S RAMP CTL AND THERE ARE SIGNS ON THE TERMINAL INDICATING A FREQ TO CONTACT RAMP. THERE WAS NO SIGN ON THE GATE AT WHICH THEY WERE PARKED. RPTR EVEN CONTACTED OPS FOR THE DTW METRO ARPT WHO TOLD THEM NO CONTACT NECESSARY. IT SEEMS THEY WERE WRONG AND GOT INTO A BIT OF A TIFF WITH ACR X ABOUT THE LACK OF PROPER INFO. NORMALLY THE ACFT ARE TOWED TO A CIRCLE AND THEN CONTACT GND FROM THESE GATES. SINCE ACR X CTLS SOME OF THE AREA IT IS CONFUSING WHETHER CONTACT IS NECESSARY. RPTR SUGGESTION IS TO HAVE A SIGN ON THE TERMINAL INDICATING A FREQ CONTACT IS NECESSARY OR A SIGN SPECIFICALLY INDICATING NO CONTACT NEEDED. RPTR IS ALSO CONCERNED REGARDING THE LACK OF MARKINGS FOR TAXI INTO GATE. THE ALLEYWAYS ARE TIGHT AND WITH NO MARKINGS THE PLT IS 'ON HIS OWN' IN THIS AREA. WITH NO ABILITY TO SEE THE WINGTIPS THIS CAN BE VERY DISCONCERTING, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. THERE IS A 2-WAY ROAD WHICH HAS MARKINGS, BUT NONE FOR TAXI. THIS NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.

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.