Narrative:

Mr X was ready to push us at gate X prd and allowed us to release brakes at XA40Z, 5 mins before departure. When we got to the verbiage from me, 'brakes released, hold the push,' he responded, 'roger.' I asked him to repeat back the 'hold the push' part and he refused. I explained it was important in the interest of safety for him to repeat it back and everyone else did. His reply was that he refused to read it back as 'he was reading his card.' and he'd get someone else to push us! And left. After several mins the supervisor came on the interphone to ask what the trouble was. I explained what had happened. He said that he had no one else to push us except mr X and he'd tell him to do it per standardization. I said ok and mr X came back on the interphone. We got to the 'brakes released, hold the push' part and he responded with only a 'roger.' I told him, 'we've been through this already, you need to read it back.' he again stormed off and refused to push us! A few mins later a mr Y came on and pushed us according to SOP except he never told us 'cleared to start engines.' we started them after the salute/release from guidance. This caused us to situation there for 8 mins after initial brakes release. The issue is if indeed mr X was 'reading from his card' it does not match the verbiage in our books that tells us he is to repeat back what we say. A wise safety issue, for he could possibly miss the 'hold the' part and only hear 'push' and there we have another incident. If he was not doing what he thought was SOP and merely trying for a power struggle, even more of a safety issue.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320. TUG DRIVER WAS NOT GIVEN A STANDARDIZED PROC FOR THE PUSHBACK.

Narrative: MR X WAS READY TO PUSH US AT GATE X PRD AND ALLOWED US TO RELEASE BRAKES AT XA40Z, 5 MINS BEFORE DEP. WHEN WE GOT TO THE VERBIAGE FROM ME, 'BRAKES RELEASED, HOLD THE PUSH,' HE RESPONDED, 'ROGER.' I ASKED HIM TO REPEAT BACK THE 'HOLD THE PUSH' PART AND HE REFUSED. I EXPLAINED IT WAS IMPORTANT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY FOR HIM TO REPEAT IT BACK AND EVERYONE ELSE DID. HIS REPLY WAS THAT HE REFUSED TO READ IT BACK AS 'HE WAS READING HIS CARD.' AND HE'D GET SOMEONE ELSE TO PUSH US! AND LEFT. AFTER SEVERAL MINS THE SUPVR CAME ON THE INTERPHONE TO ASK WHAT THE TROUBLE WAS. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE SAID THAT HE HAD NO ONE ELSE TO PUSH US EXCEPT MR X AND HE'D TELL HIM TO DO IT PER STANDARDIZATION. I SAID OK AND MR X CAME BACK ON THE INTERPHONE. WE GOT TO THE 'BRAKES RELEASED, HOLD THE PUSH' PART AND HE RESPONDED WITH ONLY A 'ROGER.' I TOLD HIM, 'WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS ALREADY, YOU NEED TO READ IT BACK.' HE AGAIN STORMED OFF AND REFUSED TO PUSH US! A FEW MINS LATER A MR Y CAME ON AND PUSHED US ACCORDING TO SOP EXCEPT HE NEVER TOLD US 'CLRED TO START ENGS.' WE STARTED THEM AFTER THE SALUTE/RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE. THIS CAUSED US TO SIT THERE FOR 8 MINS AFTER INITIAL BRAKES RELEASE. THE ISSUE IS IF INDEED MR X WAS 'READING FROM HIS CARD' IT DOES NOT MATCH THE VERBIAGE IN OUR BOOKS THAT TELLS US HE IS TO REPEAT BACK WHAT WE SAY. A WISE SAFETY ISSUE, FOR HE COULD POSSIBLY MISS THE 'HOLD THE' PART AND ONLY HEAR 'PUSH' AND THERE WE HAVE ANOTHER INCIDENT. IF HE WAS NOT DOING WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS SOP AND MERELY TRYING FOR A PWR STRUGGLE, EVEN MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE.

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.