Narrative:

I (the first officer) requested the power back from ramp. Ramp's response was not to 'hold' the power back, rather we were told to advise our ground crew 'tail south' on the power back. I acknowledged tail south power back and then told ramp were not in contact with our rampers. He had a bad headset. Ramp control again said to be sure to tell our ground crew 'tail south.' I acknowledged. The captain opened his window and told our guideman. He gave us the thumbs up and motioned to the wing guidemen for the pwrback. We power-backed tail south uneventfully. I called for taxi and was advised by ramp we were 'not' cleared for pwrback but since we had, cleared to taxi. Clearly some misunderstood communication. There was no aircraft on either side of us 'gates xx and xy plus we had 3 excellent guidemen giving us pwrback instructions and the closest aircraft to us was on xz so I think we created no conflict. Ramp control concurred. Obviously some confusion and ambiguity between what was said and what was acknowledged and heard concerning the pwrback sequence. Supplemental information from acn 442100: guidemen had bad headset. He gave me hand signals to park brakes and start engines. I asked first officer to call for pwrback. He informed me that we would need a tail south pwrback. I communicated this verbally to the guideman through the sliding window. I then asked the first officer if we were cleared to pwrback. He responded yes. When first officer called for taxi after the pwrback, we were informed by ramp that we didn't have pwrback clearance. I wasn't monitoring the initial transmission between the first officer and ramp, but I believe there was some confusion between instructions to be given to the guideman for a tail south pwrback and clearance to pwrback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW DID NOT COORDINATE PWRBACK WITH COMPANY RAMP CTL.

Narrative: I (THE FO) REQUESTED THE PWR BACK FROM RAMP. RAMP'S RESPONSE WAS NOT TO 'HOLD' THE PWR BACK, RATHER WE WERE TOLD TO ADVISE OUR GND CREW 'TAIL S' ON THE PWR BACK. I ACKNOWLEDGED TAIL S PWR BACK AND THEN TOLD RAMP WERE NOT IN CONTACT WITH OUR RAMPERS. HE HAD A BAD HEADSET. RAMP CTL AGAIN SAID TO BE SURE TO TELL OUR GND CREW 'TAIL S.' I ACKNOWLEDGED. THE CAPT OPENED HIS WINDOW AND TOLD OUR GUIDEMAN. HE GAVE US THE THUMBS UP AND MOTIONED TO THE WING GUIDEMEN FOR THE PWRBACK. WE PWR-BACKED TAIL S UNEVENTFULLY. I CALLED FOR TAXI AND WAS ADVISED BY RAMP WE WERE 'NOT' CLRED FOR PWRBACK BUT SINCE WE HAD, CLRED TO TAXI. CLRLY SOME MISUNDERSTOOD COM. THERE WAS NO ACFT ON EITHER SIDE OF US 'GATES XX AND XY PLUS WE HAD 3 EXCELLENT GUIDEMEN GIVING US PWRBACK INSTRUCTIONS AND THE CLOSEST ACFT TO US WAS ON XZ SO I THINK WE CREATED NO CONFLICT. RAMP CTL CONCURRED. OBVIOUSLY SOME CONFUSION AND AMBIGUITY BTWN WHAT WAS SAID AND WHAT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND HEARD CONCERNING THE PWRBACK SEQUENCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 442100: GUIDEMEN HAD BAD HEADSET. HE GAVE ME HAND SIGNALS TO PARK BRAKES AND START ENGS. I ASKED FO TO CALL FOR PWRBACK. HE INFORMED ME THAT WE WOULD NEED A TAIL S PWRBACK. I COMMUNICATED THIS VERBALLY TO THE GUIDEMAN THROUGH THE SLIDING WINDOW. I THEN ASKED THE FO IF WE WERE CLRED TO PWRBACK. HE RESPONDED YES. WHEN FO CALLED FOR TAXI AFTER THE PWRBACK, WE WERE INFORMED BY RAMP THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE PWRBACK CLRNC. I WASN'T MONITORING THE INITIAL XMISSION BTWN THE FO AND RAMP, BUT I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION BTWN INSTRUCTIONS TO BE GIVEN TO THE GUIDEMAN FOR A TAIL S PWRBACK AND CLRNC TO PWRBACK.

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.