Narrative:

After starting aircraft, first officer called on VHF #2 for power back (assumed to be ramp control). We received an affirmative answer, although not standard terminology. After completing the power back, we again called for taxi clearance on VHF #2 and received an affirmative answer although nonstandard terminology. As we moved along the ramp, I switched to VHF #1 (ATC) frequency and heard ramp asking who we were and that we had not been cleared for aircraft movement. At that time we realized VHF #2 had been tuned to airline operations and not ramp control frequency. The problem arose by the first officer failing to set the radios up for proper communications for the power back and initial and the captain assuming the radios had been set correctly and not confirming the proper frequencys were set. We both made the #2 VHF radio replies fit what we wanted to do and failed to question the nonstandard replies on the radio as well as we should. Additionally the station agent did not clarify who she was when she received xmissions that operations generally does not receive, but continued to affirm our requests for continued aircraft movement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC9-50 INADVERTENTLY REQUESTED AND RECEIVED APPROVAL THROUGH THEIR COMPANY STATION AGENT FOR GATE PUSHBACK AND RAMP TAXI CLRNC. THEY BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE TUNED TO THE RAMP CTL FREQ.

Narrative: AFTER STARTING ACFT, FO CALLED ON VHF #2 FOR PWR BACK (ASSUMED TO BE RAMP CTL). WE RECEIVED AN AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER, ALTHOUGH NOT STANDARD TERMINOLOGY. AFTER COMPLETING THE PWR BACK, WE AGAIN CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC ON VHF #2 AND RECEIVED AN AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER ALTHOUGH NONSTANDARD TERMINOLOGY. AS WE MOVED ALONG THE RAMP, I SWITCHED TO VHF #1 (ATC) FREQ AND HEARD RAMP ASKING WHO WE WERE AND THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED FOR ACFT MOVEMENT. AT THAT TIME WE REALIZED VHF #2 HAD BEEN TUNED TO AIRLINE OPS AND NOT RAMP CTL FREQ. THE PROB AROSE BY THE FO FAILING TO SET THE RADIOS UP FOR PROPER COMS FOR THE PWR BACK AND INITIAL AND THE CAPT ASSUMING THE RADIOS HAD BEEN SET CORRECTLY AND NOT CONFIRMING THE PROPER FREQS WERE SET. WE BOTH MADE THE #2 VHF RADIO REPLIES FIT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO AND FAILED TO QUESTION THE NONSTANDARD REPLIES ON THE RADIO AS WELL AS WE SHOULD. ADDITIONALLY THE STATION AGENT DID NOT CLARIFY WHO SHE WAS WHEN SHE RECEIVED XMISSIONS THAT OPS GENERALLY DOES NOT RECEIVE, BUT CONTINUED TO AFFIRM OUR REQUESTS FOR CONTINUED ACFT MOVEMENT.

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.