Narrative:

Pushback crews are still not following SOP during pushback; specifically the request for brake release. I'm still getting asked to release brakes as the first order of business on a pushback versus after receipt of a pushback clearance from ramp or ATC. On this particular flight; the communication from the pushback crew went something like this; 'hello; captain; pre departure check complete; release brakes.' I would say that most of the ground crews; not only at ZZZ but worldwide begin the dialogue like this. According to the B757-B767 flight manual; normals chapter; we are not to release brakes '...until the before pushback checklist is complete and clearance has been received from the ground crew and pushback clearance has been received from the ramp or ATC.' I had a flight last week where the first thing that the ZZZ pushback crew said on the ground interphone was; 'release brakes.' no; 'hello; how are you;' no; 'ground to cockpit; pre departure check complete.' very first and only words were; 'release brakes.' when I asked him if he was ready to go; he said; 'yes; release brakes.' I then informed him that we could not release the brakes until we had a pushback clearance. He did not seem to care. The point I'm trying to make is that the verbiage in the flight manual is not being followed. Now; I'm not such a stickler that I can't vary from the script a little. I'm not saying that they must utter these phrases word for word (even though they should); but it would be nice; for safety's sake; if everyone was on the same page. Doing so would enhance safety and ensure that there are no injuries to ground personnel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT NOTES THAT GND CREWS WORLDWIDE ARE UTILIZING NONSTANDARD VERBAL PHRASES WHEN ESTABLISHING PRE PUSHBACK COMS.

Narrative: PUSHBACK CREWS ARE STILL NOT FOLLOWING SOP DURING PUSHBACK; SPECIFICALLY THE REQUEST FOR BRAKE RELEASE. I'M STILL GETTING ASKED TO RELEASE BRAKES AS THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS ON A PUSHBACK VERSUS AFTER RECEIPT OF A PUSHBACK CLRNC FROM RAMP OR ATC. ON THIS PARTICULAR FLT; THE COMMUNICATION FROM THE PUSHBACK CREW WENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS; 'HELLO; CAPT; PRE DEP CHK COMPLETE; RELEASE BRAKES.' I WOULD SAY THAT MOST OF THE GND CREWS; NOT ONLY AT ZZZ BUT WORLDWIDE BEGIN THE DIALOGUE LIKE THIS. ACCORDING TO THE B757-B767 FLT MANUAL; NORMALS CHAPTER; WE ARE NOT TO RELEASE BRAKES '...UNTIL THE BEFORE PUSHBACK CHKLIST IS COMPLETE AND CLRNC HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE GND CREW AND PUSHBACK CLRNC HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE RAMP OR ATC.' I HAD A FLT LAST WEEK WHERE THE FIRST THING THAT THE ZZZ PUSHBACK CREW SAID ON THE GND INTERPHONE WAS; 'RELEASE BRAKES.' NO; 'HELLO; HOW ARE YOU;' NO; 'GND TO COCKPIT; PRE DEP CHK COMPLETE.' VERY FIRST AND ONLY WORDS WERE; 'RELEASE BRAKES.' WHEN I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS READY TO GO; HE SAID; 'YES; RELEASE BRAKES.' I THEN INFORMED HIM THAT WE COULD NOT RELEASE THE BRAKES UNTIL WE HAD A PUSHBACK CLRNC. HE DID NOT SEEM TO CARE. THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT THE VERBIAGE IN THE FLT MANUAL IS NOT BEING FOLLOWED. NOW; I'M NOT SUCH A STICKLER THAT I CAN'T VARY FROM THE SCRIPT A LITTLE. I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY MUST UTTER THESE PHRASES WORD FOR WORD (EVEN THOUGH THEY SHOULD); BUT IT WOULD BE NICE; FOR SAFETY'S SAKE; IF EVERYONE WAS ON THE SAME PAGE. DOING SO WOULD ENHANCE SAFETY AND ENSURE THAT THERE ARE NO INJURIES TO GND PERSONNEL.

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.