MD80 crew was pushed back onto an active taxiway by a contract tug driver in rno.

Attributes
ACN	605724
Time
Date	200401
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rno.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Snow
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	605724
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	605723
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We called for and received pushback clearance from rno ground control off gate, 'cleared to push.' tug driven by contract handler. Driver and ramp lead pushed us out onto taxiway a and disconnected us. Rno ground called during the disconnect and said that taxiway a is a movement area and we were not supposed to be there. I apologized and asked for taxi clearance. Nothing else was said by ATC until out of 10500 ft when rno departure said to expect a violation and to call rno tower. There is nothing about a push restr on the 10-9 page or our 10-7 page. Captain called rno tower on arrival and talked to a mr Y who defended the violation because the push restr is mentioned in the rno operations manual. Crews are at the mercy of the experienced tug drivers that must know what restrs may apply during a push.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW WAS PUSHED BACK ONTO AN ACTIVE TXWY BY A CONTRACT TUG DRIVER IN RNO.

Narrative: WE CALLED FOR AND RECEIVED PUSHBACK CLRNC FROM RNO GND CTL OFF GATE, 'CLRED TO PUSH.' TUG DRIVEN BY CONTRACT HANDLER. DRIVER AND RAMP LEAD PUSHED US OUT ONTO TXWY A AND DISCONNECTED US. RNO GND CALLED DURING THE DISCONNECT AND SAID THAT TXWY A IS A MOVEMENT AREA AND WE WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE. I APOLOGIZED AND ASKED FOR TAXI CLRNC. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID BY ATC UNTIL OUT OF 10500 FT WHEN RNO DEP SAID TO EXPECT A VIOLATION AND TO CALL RNO TWR. THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT A PUSH RESTR ON THE 10-9 PAGE OR OUR 10-7 PAGE. CAPT CALLED RNO TWR ON ARR AND TALKED TO A MR Y WHO DEFENDED THE VIOLATION BECAUSE THE PUSH RESTR IS MENTIONED IN THE RNO OPS MANUAL. CREWS ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE EXPERIENCED TUG DRIVERS THAT MUST KNOW WHAT RESTRS MAY APPLY DURING A PUSH.

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.