Narrative:

I have concern with the attitude ramp agents and ramp supervisors have in phl regarding the use of headsets. After being behind schedule because of maintenance earlier in the day; we had finally caught up to be on time. As the flight attendant and first officer were readying the inside for our last flight of the night; I went outside to do a walkaround inspection and speak with a ramp agent. Boarding and loading went relatively smoothly. We then asked the gate agent in the jetway to call a ramp agent up. The ramper (that later pushed us) came up and I asked if he had a headset tonight. He responded that he had just gotten to this gate; and didn't know if this tug had one. I told him we needed a headset. He left and I had the impression that he thought he could find one. 15 mins later; we still had no headset and no word from anyone if anyone had made any progress. The jetway had been pulled; the paperwork was out the door; and the door was closed. The same ramper tried to start hand signals to begin a push at some point; but I could not push since we had not had any sort of hand signal briefing as outlined in our gom. Another 10 mins later some sort of ramp supervisor in a white shirt came out and signaled us to open the main cabin door. I got out of my seat opened the cockpit door; and asked our flight attendant to open the door. She unbuckled; and opened the door. Since the jetway had been pulled; I knelt to speak with the supervisor. He had the ramp agent next to him and told me that he was here for his briefing and that I should proceed with the briefing. From the way he greeted me; I think he recognized me from another confrontation/conversation we had about headsets previously. I asked him if he had any headsets; and he said not any that were currently available. This is what he told me in our previous encounter. I asked him if phl ever had any headsets; for future reference. He said there are things going on in this station that I had no idea about. That may be true; but I also believe he underestimates the importance and safety of headset usage. I briefed the ramp agent on the hand signals we would use for pushback; closed the doors; and got ready for push. We called ramp control for push; and as luck would have it; a circumstance occurred where headsets would have increased safety and efficiency. Ramp control cleared us to push. As an afterthought; ramp control told us that the gate immediately adjacent to us was also pushing. It would have been nice to be able to tell our push crew that we were cleared to push; but to watch the next door plane. There are no hand signals for this message. Since I cannot see the plane behind me; I chose to wait until I heard ramp give the other plane clearance to taxi before I gave the ramp agent any indication to push. I understand there is an exception in our gom that allows us to go without a headset. I also interpretation it to read that the captain and pushing agent must have a face-to-face meeting before pushback begins in order to review. This means the ramp agent needs to notify the flight crew if we don't have a headset before the door is closed. My experiences tell me they believe headsets are the exception -- not the rule. From discussions with other captain's and first officer's; I believe part of the problem is ramp agent training. It seems they believe headset usage is; once again; the exception when it explicitly states in our manual that it is the rule. I also believe part of it is inconsistency from the pilots. When I insist on headset usage; but the captain after me does not; it undermines our approved procedures. I trust the departure was properly coded as a ramp delay (waiting for a headset); but I fear that the next time I am in phl; there will have been no change. Hope we can work towards more consistency from the pilots and better training for the ramp agents.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW ADVISES PUSHBACK PERSONNEL AND SUPERVISION AT MAJOR ARPT FAIL TO OBTAIN AND UTILIZE INTERPHONE HEADSETS FOR PUSHBACK OPS AS REQUIRED BY THEIR OPS MANUAL.

Narrative: I HAVE CONCERN WITH THE ATTITUDE RAMP AGENTS AND RAMP SUPVRS HAVE IN PHL REGARDING THE USE OF HEADSETS. AFTER BEING BEHIND SCHEDULE BECAUSE OF MAINT EARLIER IN THE DAY; WE HAD FINALLY CAUGHT UP TO BE ON TIME. AS THE FLT ATTENDANT AND FO WERE READYING THE INSIDE FOR OUR LAST FLT OF THE NIGHT; I WENT OUTSIDE TO DO A WALKAROUND INSPECTION AND SPEAK WITH A RAMP AGENT. BOARDING AND LOADING WENT RELATIVELY SMOOTHLY. WE THEN ASKED THE GATE AGENT IN THE JETWAY TO CALL A RAMP AGENT UP. THE RAMPER (THAT LATER PUSHED US) CAME UP AND I ASKED IF HE HAD A HEADSET TONIGHT. HE RESPONDED THAT HE HAD JUST GOTTEN TO THIS GATE; AND DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS TUG HAD ONE. I TOLD HIM WE NEEDED A HEADSET. HE LEFT AND I HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT HE THOUGHT HE COULD FIND ONE. 15 MINS LATER; WE STILL HAD NO HEADSET AND NO WORD FROM ANYONE IF ANYONE HAD MADE ANY PROGRESS. THE JETWAY HAD BEEN PULLED; THE PAPERWORK WAS OUT THE DOOR; AND THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. THE SAME RAMPER TRIED TO START HAND SIGNALS TO BEGIN A PUSH AT SOME POINT; BUT I COULD NOT PUSH SINCE WE HAD NOT HAD ANY SORT OF HAND SIGNAL BRIEFING AS OUTLINED IN OUR GOM. ANOTHER 10 MINS LATER SOME SORT OF RAMP SUPVR IN A WHITE SHIRT CAME OUT AND SIGNALED US TO OPEN THE MAIN CABIN DOOR. I GOT OUT OF MY SEAT OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR; AND ASKED OUR FLT ATTENDANT TO OPEN THE DOOR. SHE UNBUCKLED; AND OPENED THE DOOR. SINCE THE JETWAY HAD BEEN PULLED; I KNELT TO SPEAK WITH THE SUPVR. HE HAD THE RAMP AGENT NEXT TO HIM AND TOLD ME THAT HE WAS HERE FOR HIS BRIEFING AND THAT I SHOULD PROCEED WITH THE BRIEFING. FROM THE WAY HE GREETED ME; I THINK HE RECOGNIZED ME FROM ANOTHER CONFRONTATION/CONVERSATION WE HAD ABOUT HEADSETS PREVIOUSLY. I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ANY HEADSETS; AND HE SAID NOT ANY THAT WERE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. THIS IS WHAT HE TOLD ME IN OUR PREVIOUS ENCOUNTER. I ASKED HIM IF PHL EVER HAD ANY HEADSETS; FOR FUTURE REF. HE SAID THERE ARE THINGS GOING ON IN THIS STATION THAT I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT. THAT MAY BE TRUE; BUT I ALSO BELIEVE HE UNDERESTIMATES THE IMPORTANCE AND SAFETY OF HEADSET USAGE. I BRIEFED THE RAMP AGENT ON THE HAND SIGNALS WE WOULD USE FOR PUSHBACK; CLOSED THE DOORS; AND GOT READY FOR PUSH. WE CALLED RAMP CTL FOR PUSH; AND AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT; A CIRCUMSTANCE OCCURRED WHERE HEADSETS WOULD HAVE INCREASED SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY. RAMP CTL CLRED US TO PUSH. AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT; RAMP CTL TOLD US THAT THE GATE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO US WAS ALSO PUSHING. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO BE ABLE TO TELL OUR PUSH CREW THAT WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH; BUT TO WATCH THE NEXT DOOR PLANE. THERE ARE NO HAND SIGNALS FOR THIS MESSAGE. SINCE I CANNOT SEE THE PLANE BEHIND ME; I CHOSE TO WAIT UNTIL I HEARD RAMP GIVE THE OTHER PLANE CLRNC TO TAXI BEFORE I GAVE THE RAMP AGENT ANY INDICATION TO PUSH. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS AN EXCEPTION IN OUR GOM THAT ALLOWS US TO GO WITHOUT A HEADSET. I ALSO INTERP IT TO READ THAT THE CAPT AND PUSHING AGENT MUST HAVE A FACE-TO-FACE MEETING BEFORE PUSHBACK BEGINS IN ORDER TO REVIEW. THIS MEANS THE RAMP AGENT NEEDS TO NOTIFY THE FLT CREW IF WE DON'T HAVE A HEADSET BEFORE THE DOOR IS CLOSED. MY EXPERIENCES TELL ME THEY BELIEVE HEADSETS ARE THE EXCEPTION -- NOT THE RULE. FROM DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER CAPT'S AND FO'S; I BELIEVE PART OF THE PROB IS RAMP AGENT TRAINING. IT SEEMS THEY BELIEVE HEADSET USAGE IS; ONCE AGAIN; THE EXCEPTION WHEN IT EXPLICITLY STATES IN OUR MANUAL THAT IT IS THE RULE. I ALSO BELIEVE PART OF IT IS INCONSISTENCY FROM THE PLTS. WHEN I INSIST ON HEADSET USAGE; BUT THE CAPT AFTER ME DOES NOT; IT UNDERMINES OUR APPROVED PROCS. I TRUST THE DEP WAS PROPERLY CODED AS A RAMP DELAY (WAITING FOR A HEADSET); BUT I FEAR THAT THE NEXT TIME I AM IN PHL; THERE WILL HAVE BEEN NO CHANGE. HOPE WE CAN WORK TOWARDS MORE CONSISTENCY FROM THE PLTS AND BETTER TRAINING FOR THE RAMP AGENTS.

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.