Narrative:

We were cleared to push facing east. This instruction was relayed to the push crew; who began the push and cleared us to start engines. We were involved with the engine start when we received a harsh command from the ground control to stop our push. Upon exiting the alley; the push crew had started to turn the aircraft the wrong way and I hadn't caught it. When I questioned the tug driver about why he hadn't followed our instruction; he said he thought we wanted the tail east. He also said this was his first time pushing back. Even though we didn't catch the error in time to prevent the deviation; the ground controller acted extremely unprofessionally as he arrogantly berated us on the frequency. He carried on to such an extent that I felt compelled to reply. At this point; there was a change in controllers. As we taxied out; the new controller apologized for the way the event was handled; as did we for our error. Unfortunately; this event was not over. As we contacted hnl departure control; the controller asked us; 'does my voice sound familiar?' it was the same person we had the problem with on the ground frequency. I don't know why he felt it was necessary to continue this dispute in the air. He wasn't finished though. As he handed us off to ZHN; his last words to us were; 'which way are you facing now air carrier X?' during our pacific crossing; we were contacted on the air-to-air frequency by several other crews who had heard the event on hnl ground frequency. They all urged us to document the event because they felt; as I did; that the controller was spending too much time lecturing and chewing out crews; instead of moving airplanes. Granted; this gentleman was working 2 frequencys; which may have contributed to his stress level; but he was going out of his way to show he was in control and in the process; losing it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW WAS BERATED BY AN HNL GND CTLR WHO CONTINUED THE UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR WHILE ON DEP CTL.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH FACING E. THIS INSTRUCTION WAS RELAYED TO THE PUSH CREW; WHO BEGAN THE PUSH AND CLRED US TO START ENGS. WE WERE INVOLVED WITH THE ENG START WHEN WE RECEIVED A HARSH COMMAND FROM THE GND CTL TO STOP OUR PUSH. UPON EXITING THE ALLEY; THE PUSH CREW HAD STARTED TO TURN THE ACFT THE WRONG WAY AND I HADN'T CAUGHT IT. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE TUG DRIVER ABOUT WHY HE HADN'T FOLLOWED OUR INSTRUCTION; HE SAID HE THOUGHT WE WANTED THE TAIL E. HE ALSO SAID THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME PUSHING BACK. EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T CATCH THE ERROR IN TIME TO PREVENT THE DEV; THE GND CTLR ACTED EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONALLY AS HE ARROGANTLY BERATED US ON THE FREQ. HE CARRIED ON TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT I FELT COMPELLED TO REPLY. AT THIS POINT; THERE WAS A CHANGE IN CTLRS. AS WE TAXIED OUT; THE NEW CTLR APOLOGIZED FOR THE WAY THE EVENT WAS HANDLED; AS DID WE FOR OUR ERROR. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS EVENT WAS NOT OVER. AS WE CONTACTED HNL DEP CTL; THE CTLR ASKED US; 'DOES MY VOICE SOUND FAMILIAR?' IT WAS THE SAME PERSON WE HAD THE PROB WITH ON THE GND FREQ. I DON'T KNOW WHY HE FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE THIS DISPUTE IN THE AIR. HE WASN'T FINISHED THOUGH. AS HE HANDED US OFF TO ZHN; HIS LAST WORDS TO US WERE; 'WHICH WAY ARE YOU FACING NOW ACR X?' DURING OUR PACIFIC XING; WE WERE CONTACTED ON THE AIR-TO-AIR FREQ BY SEVERAL OTHER CREWS WHO HAD HEARD THE EVENT ON HNL GND FREQ. THEY ALL URGED US TO DOCUMENT THE EVENT BECAUSE THEY FELT; AS I DID; THAT THE CTLR WAS SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME LECTURING AND CHEWING OUT CREWS; INSTEAD OF MOVING AIRPLANES. GRANTED; THIS GENTLEMAN WAS WORKING 2 FREQS; WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HIS STRESS LEVEL; BUT HE WAS GOING OUT OF HIS WAY TO SHOW HE WAS IN CTL AND IN THE PROCESS; LOSING IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.