Narrative:

At pushback, captain and first officer discussed need to call ground control or not. Read sfo 10-7Z and it said, prior to pushback contact ground ord XXX ramp/gates aa and bb. We thought this meant we only needed to call ground if we were leaving from gates aa or bb. As tug pushed us back toward the inner taxiway, I stopped the push and tug driver told me he was going to push us onto the taxiway. I called ground and asked them about it and they said we have to call them before leaving the gate. The wording on the 10-7Z page needs to be changed. We need in bold print the words 'contact ground prior to pushback. If pushing from gates aa or bb contact XXX ramp control this would make it easier to understand. We received the push clearance from ground and continued an uneventful flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLC FELT THE ORD 10-7Z PAGE WAS VAGUE AND NEEDED BOLD TYPE INSTRUCTIONS TO CLARIFY PUSHBACK CLRNC REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: AT PUSHBACK, CAPT AND FO DISCUSSED NEED TO CALL GND CTL OR NOT. READ SFO 10-7Z AND IT SAID, PRIOR TO PUSHBACK CONTACT GND ORD XXX RAMP/GATES AA AND BB. WE THOUGHT THIS MEANT WE ONLY NEEDED TO CALL GND IF WE WERE LEAVING FROM GATES AA OR BB. AS TUG PUSHED US BACK TOWARD THE INNER TXWY, I STOPPED THE PUSH AND TUG DRIVER TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO PUSH US ONTO THE TXWY. I CALLED GND AND ASKED THEM ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID WE HAVE TO CALL THEM BEFORE LEAVING THE GATE. THE WORDING ON THE 10-7Z PAGE NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. WE NEED IN BOLD PRINT THE WORDS 'CONTACT GND PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. IF PUSHING FROM GATES AA OR BB CONTACT XXX RAMP CTL THIS WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND. WE RECEIVED THE PUSH CLRNC FROM GND AND CONTINUED AN UNEVENTFUL FLT.

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.