Narrative:

Arrived over 2 hours late in clt due to irregular operations at ord. Tug driver seemed very stressed and said they were putting the last bags on. Appeared to be same person that cleaned; boarded; removed loading bridge; ran down to help with bags; and drive tug. She said her supervisor was down there and wanted to get the flight out on time...although we were already 2+ hours late. I said just safely get the bags loaded; and we would be on our way soon enough. As she pushed us back; she made a statement that she would be disconnecting; but we were clear. At about that time; we drifted slightly away from the tug. She reconnected the headset and apologized as the tow bar was not totally connected. She decided to give us taxi guidance away from the ramp. As we attempted to taxi; we experienced stiffness in the nosewheel steering. We set the parking brake; and signaled her to reconnect her headset. We explained to her the problem; and asked her if she had removed the pin from the nose gear. She reported that it will still connected. We depressurized the hydraulic system; and she then removed the pin. Steering was normal on taxiout. It appeared that fatigue; stress; and understaffing were factors with the ground crew's performance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STRESSED BY MULTI-TASKING AND PRESSURED BY HER SUPVR FOR A TIMELY PUSH AND TAXI; PUSHBACK TUG DRIVER FAILS TO ACCOMPLISH PROPER DISCONNECT AND RELEASE OF B737-500. ACFT MOVEMENT WITHOUT CLRNC RESULTS AND; WHEN FINALLY CLEARED BY TUG DRIVER TO TAXI; IT IS DISCOVERED THE STEERING BYPASS PIN HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED AND STEERING WAS; THEREFORE; INOP.

Narrative: ARRIVED OVER 2 HOURS LATE IN CLT DUE TO IRREGULAR OPS AT ORD. TUG DRIVER SEEMED VERY STRESSED AND SAID THEY WERE PUTTING THE LAST BAGS ON. APPEARED TO BE SAME PERSON THAT CLEANED; BOARDED; REMOVED LOADING BRIDGE; RAN DOWN TO HELP WITH BAGS; AND DRIVE TUG. SHE SAID HER SUPVR WAS DOWN THERE AND WANTED TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME...ALTHOUGH WE WERE ALREADY 2+ HRS LATE. I SAID JUST SAFELY GET THE BAGS LOADED; AND WE WOULD BE ON OUR WAY SOON ENOUGH. AS SHE PUSHED US BACK; SHE MADE A STATEMENT THAT SHE WOULD BE DISCONNECTING; BUT WE WERE CLR. AT ABOUT THAT TIME; WE DRIFTED SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM THE TUG. SHE RECONNECTED THE HEADSET AND APOLOGIZED AS THE TOW BAR WAS NOT TOTALLY CONNECTED. SHE DECIDED TO GIVE US TAXI GUIDANCE AWAY FROM THE RAMP. AS WE ATTEMPTED TO TAXI; WE EXPERIENCED STIFFNESS IN THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING. WE SET THE PARKING BRAKE; AND SIGNALED HER TO RECONNECT HER HEADSET. WE EXPLAINED TO HER THE PROB; AND ASKED HER IF SHE HAD REMOVED THE PIN FROM THE NOSE GEAR. SHE RPTED THAT IT WILL STILL CONNECTED. WE DEPRESSURIZED THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM; AND SHE THEN REMOVED THE PIN. STEERING WAS NORMAL ON TAXIOUT. IT APPEARED THAT FATIGUE; STRESS; AND UNDERSTAFFING WERE FACTORS WITH THE GND CREW'S PERFORMANCE.

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.