Narrative:

Iad airport ramp operated by airport authority/authorized. We continued to receive inaccurate gate information on aircraft that are being issued push clrncs via data link. Last evening, the controller received a push request from air carrier abcd, a scheduled departure from gate ab on the opposite side of the concourse from which he was actually located. If the controller receives a rush request from a gate on the north side of the concourse and the aircraft is actually on the opposite side, we have a serious problem. Since the air carrier does not use 'wing walkers' during a push, they are entirely dependent on the ramp controller to assure separation from traffic taxiing behind the push aircraft. This is one of the first airports in the country to use this system developed by a commercial radio provider. It does not meet expectations and should not be used until a more refined system is available. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states this is a new data link system. The ground controller is alerted to a pushback with a chime. The ground controller looks at a ramp gate visual display and acknowledges the pushback by either a hold, taxi left or taxi right function. The reporter advises that there are instances that the pushback approval may be reflected in approval at another gate. Company ramp control has reported that some of the problems are caused when an aircraft is at the gate, but has not activated the sensor that shows the gate occupied, thus causing that gate to be assigned to another flight, and the flight which was originally assigned that gate to be assigned at another. Thus the flight number is activated at some distant gate, and the pushback could conflict with some other aircraft taxiing through the area. FAA e-mails all problems to the commercial system provider and the airline. The service provider claims the system is in development. The reporter advised that company ramp control will be receiving the same visual display as provided the tower, and this is expected to assist in problem troubleshooting and resolution.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR USING ACARS TELEMETRY TO COORD PUSHBACK WITH GND CTLR THROUGH COMPANY RAMP CTL. GND CTL HAS RECEIVED WRONG GATE INFO FROM ACR COMPANY RAMP CTL.

Narrative: IAD ARPT RAMP OPERATED BY ARPT AUTH. WE CONTINUED TO RECEIVE INACCURATE GATE INFO ON ACFT THAT ARE BEING ISSUED PUSH CLRNCS VIA DATA LINK. LAST EVENING, THE CTLR RECEIVED A PUSH REQUEST FROM ACR ABCD, A SCHEDULED DEP FROM GATE AB ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CONCOURSE FROM WHICH HE WAS ACTUALLY LOCATED. IF THE CTLR RECEIVES A RUSH REQUEST FROM A GATE ON THE N SIDE OF THE CONCOURSE AND THE ACFT IS ACTUALLY ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE, WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROB. SINCE THE ACR DOES NOT USE 'WING WALKERS' DURING A PUSH, THEY ARE ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON THE RAMP CTLR TO ASSURE SEPARATION FROM TFC TAXIING BEHIND THE PUSH ACFT. THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST ARPTS IN THE COUNTRY TO USE THIS SYS DEVELOPED BY A COMMERCIAL RADIO PROVIDER. IT DOES NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS AND SHOULD NOT BE USED UNTIL A MORE REFINED SYS IS AVAILABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THIS IS A NEW DATA LINK SYS. THE GND CTLR IS ALERTED TO A PUSHBACK WITH A CHIME. THE GND CTLR LOOKS AT A RAMP GATE VISUAL DISPLAY AND ACKNOWLEDGES THE PUSHBACK BY EITHER A HOLD, TAXI L OR TAXI R FUNCTION. THE RPTR ADVISES THAT THERE ARE INSTANCES THAT THE PUSHBACK APPROVAL MAY BE REFLECTED IN APPROVAL AT ANOTHER GATE. COMPANY RAMP CTL HAS RPTED THAT SOME OF THE PROBS ARE CAUSED WHEN AN ACFT IS AT THE GATE, BUT HAS NOT ACTIVATED THE SENSOR THAT SHOWS THE GATE OCCUPIED, THUS CAUSING THAT GATE TO BE ASSIGNED TO ANOTHER FLT, AND THE FLT WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED THAT GATE TO BE ASSIGNED AT ANOTHER. THUS THE FLT NUMBER IS ACTIVATED AT SOME DISTANT GATE, AND THE PUSHBACK COULD CONFLICT WITH SOME OTHER ACFT TAXIING THROUGH THE AREA. FAA E-MAILS ALL PROBS TO THE COMMERCIAL SYS PROVIDER AND THE AIRLINE. THE SVC PROVIDER CLAIMS THE SYS IS IN DEVELOPMENT. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT COMPANY RAMP CTL WILL BE RECEIVING THE SAME VISUAL DISPLAY AS PROVIDED THE TWR, AND THIS IS EXPECTED TO ASSIST IN PROB TROUBLESHOOTING AND RESOLUTION.

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.