B737-300 flight crew experience improper pushback procedures by the ground vehicle operator.

Attributes
ACN	701670
Time
Date	200606
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	701670
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

When ready for pushback lots of static on flight interphone and trouble talking to ground man. After establishing communications tow driver informed me that his headset was intermittent and wanted to use hand signals for push. We had a good connection and briefed over the interphone since the jetbridge was away. Ground was fully briefed that I would give him the release brakes signal when cleared to push and that after push he would give me the brakes set signal and I would respond and then he could release the tow bar and communication coordination. I briefed that we would not start engines until after release. Push clearance and brake release was given over interphone since we still had good contact. Push was initiated and stopped at what appeared to be the normal place. We heard noises under the wheel well but no guide man was in sight and no communication over the interphone. First officer and I both looked for guide man but still saw no one. First officer noticed us starting to roll and I applied the brakes after rolling a ft or two. I then called on the interphone to the tow driver and asked what was going on. Told him we never got any type of set brakes signal or even saw the guide man. His response was that the guide man was behind the tractor. The guide man was never in sight until he gave us a sloppy salute and release. Both the tractor driver and guide man seemed very unconcerned and lackadaisical. I don't believe the tow driver ever briefed the guide man about using hand signals.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW EXPERIENCE IMPROPER PUSHBACK PROCS BY THE GND VEHICLE OPERATOR.

Narrative: WHEN READY FOR PUSHBACK LOTS OF STATIC ON FLT INTERPHONE AND TROUBLE TALKING TO GND MAN. AFTER ESTABLISHING COMS TOW DRIVER INFORMED ME THAT HIS HEADSET WAS INTERMITTENT AND WANTED TO USE HAND SIGNALS FOR PUSH. WE HAD A GOOD CONNECTION AND BRIEFED OVER THE INTERPHONE SINCE THE JETBRIDGE WAS AWAY. GND WAS FULLY BRIEFED THAT I WOULD GIVE HIM THE RELEASE BRAKES SIGNAL WHEN CLRED TO PUSH AND THAT AFTER PUSH HE WOULD GIVE ME THE BRAKES SET SIGNAL AND I WOULD RESPOND AND THEN HE COULD RELEASE THE TOW BAR AND COM COORD. I BRIEFED THAT WE WOULD NOT START ENGS UNTIL AFTER RELEASE. PUSH CLRNC AND BRAKE RELEASE WAS GIVEN OVER INTERPHONE SINCE WE STILL HAD GOOD CONTACT. PUSH WAS INITIATED AND STOPPED AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE NORMAL PLACE. WE HEARD NOISES UNDER THE WHEEL WELL BUT NO GUIDE MAN WAS IN SIGHT AND NO COM OVER THE INTERPHONE. FO AND I BOTH LOOKED FOR GUIDE MAN BUT STILL SAW NO ONE. FO NOTICED US STARTING TO ROLL AND I APPLIED THE BRAKES AFTER ROLLING A FT OR TWO. I THEN CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE TO THE TOW DRIVER AND ASKED WHAT WAS GOING ON. TOLD HIM WE NEVER GOT ANY TYPE OF SET BRAKES SIGNAL OR EVEN SAW THE GUIDE MAN. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THE GUIDE MAN WAS BEHIND THE TRACTOR. THE GUIDE MAN WAS NEVER IN SIGHT UNTIL HE GAVE US A SLOPPY SALUTE AND RELEASE. BOTH THE TRACTOR DRIVER AND GUIDE MAN SEEMED VERY UNCONCERNED AND LACKADAISICAL. I DON'T BELIEVE THE TOW DRIVER EVER BRIEFED THE GUIDE MAN ABOUT USING HAND SIGNALS.

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.