Narrative:

In msp. After starting the right engine; I observed the chief pilot; who was standing in the window; signal me that the ramp person had left his marshalling position to go and move some equipment and that I should shut down the engine. Seeing that our ramp personnel so often leave their position during start or any other marshalling time; I had not noticed that he had left. I shut the engine down and the ramp person quickly returned and got on the headset to ask what the problem was. He obviously did not understand his duty during engine start; nor did he understand my reason for shutting the engine down. I expressed to him that my chief pilot was standing in the window and let me know that he had left his position. He responded by saying that his job requires him to leave to do other things. The engine was restarted. After parking in msp; I observed a ramp coordinator dragging trash to the bin stationed in the vestibule. He then proceeded to walk between the jetway and the aircraft and cut through the left propeller restr area to go to the gpu. The propeller was still spinning slowly. While waiting to start engines in msp; the same ramp coordinator showed up at departure time and tried to start the aircraft without any wands of any kind. I signaled the need for wands and he gave an expression of frustration. He returned about 5 mins later with wands. The microphone was not used and he appeared to not even attempt to use it. I questioned him about the microphone being inoperative; and he just used hand signals. After pushback was completed; the headset was disconnected and I observed him basically throw the headset down onto the bed of the cart. He gave a nonstandard wave-off and drove off. There was no attempt to get an additional marshaller; which may have been required since the pushback driver did not even attempt to maintain visual contact with the crew. On a side note; we contacted operations for our out-time and found that because of an uncommanded brake release the time was sent as on-time. The ramp coordinator did not return until 5 mins past scheduled departure time when engines were started. We informed operations of this and the told us to contact dispatch. We informed dispatch and they said they would make the change. Upon verification of our out-time I noted that the time still showed us as on-time. I guess I can just keep the pay. While waiting to park in dtw; I observed chocks near the propeller restr area; near the parking T within the clear zone. I signaled that the chocks needed to be moved clear of the clear zone. The ramp person moved them about 2 ft and still within the clear zone. They were removed prior to parking. While doing my postflt inspection; I noticed that the ever present fueler bin was in the clear zone on the right side of the aircraft. It was not in containment markings and is not a required piece of equipment. While waiting to push back in dtw; the tug operator responded to my initial call with hand signals that the microphone was inoperative. No previous communication had been made to make me aware of this condition; although this seems to be the norm although not an SOP. While waiting to park in dtw; I noticed a maintenance cart in the right propeller restr area. The marshaller was attempting to marshal me in for parking and a mechanic came to move the cart prior to my parking. There was also a fueler bin in the right clear zone that I signaled to be removed prior to parking. After parking and just after shutdown; I observed the ramp person that parked us cut through the propeller restr area while the propeller was still spinning. While establishing communication with the tug driver in dtw he responded that the microphone was inoperative. My engine was already running. Pushback was made using a mix of hand signals and verbal communication. Upon parking in dtw I observed the marshaller do everything in accordance with SOP. After the chocks-in signal was given; ironically with wands (which is not very common) the person then proceeded to walk between the jetway and the propeller restr area. When just outside of the propeller arc; she proceeded into the propeller restr area then turned around with her back to the propeller and walked over to the jetwayto get the carry-on bag cart. While waiting to park in msp I observed a large piece of FOD just to the left of the taxi line. Most likely paper or bag tags. It took at least 1 min and many signals to get the ramp person to stop trying to marshal me in for parking and even aware of this piece of FOD. Having said this; FOD is a huge problem in most of our parking locations throughout our system. By not taxiing; the ramp person appeared confused as to why I couldn't taxi in; apparently oblivious to the FOD preventing my taxi. The FOD was removed -- well at least the piece prohibiting my taxi -- and the aircraft was parked. While pushing back in msp with 2-WAY communications established; the tug operator; I found that he chose to stop using verbal communications and just use hand signals. There seems to be a training issue with SOP requiring that 2-WAY communications must be used! After parking in dlh; and just after shutting down the engines; the marshaller that parked me approached the aircraft with the paperwork intending to hand it through the crew access hatch. When I ignored her waving the paperwork at me she then knocked on the side of the aircraft while the propeller was still slowing. Only after the propeller stopped did I open the crew access hatch. Technically; she was within the propeller restr area while trying to get my attention and only left the area after I had received the paperwork. Upon parking in msp I noted; as is common to msp; that the ramp person was using the very old and for day-use only wands.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPTAIN REPORTS MULTIPLE EXAMPLES OF MISHANDLING OF PARKING AND PUSHBACK OPERATIONS BY GND CREW.

Narrative: IN MSP. AFTER STARTING THE R ENG; I OBSERVED THE CHIEF PLT; WHO WAS STANDING IN THE WINDOW; SIGNAL ME THAT THE RAMP PERSON HAD LEFT HIS MARSHALLING POS TO GO AND MOVE SOME EQUIP AND THAT I SHOULD SHUT DOWN THE ENG. SEEING THAT OUR RAMP PERSONNEL SO OFTEN LEAVE THEIR POS DURING START OR ANY OTHER MARSHALLING TIME; I HAD NOT NOTICED THAT HE HAD LEFT. I SHUT THE ENG DOWN AND THE RAMP PERSON QUICKLY RETURNED AND GOT ON THE HEADSET TO ASK WHAT THE PROB WAS. HE OBVIOUSLY DID NOT UNDERSTAND HIS DUTY DURING ENG START; NOR DID HE UNDERSTAND MY REASON FOR SHUTTING THE ENG DOWN. I EXPRESSED TO HIM THAT MY CHIEF PLT WAS STANDING IN THE WINDOW AND LET ME KNOW THAT HE HAD LEFT HIS POS. HE RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT HIS JOB REQUIRES HIM TO LEAVE TO DO OTHER THINGS. THE ENG WAS RESTARTED. AFTER PARKING IN MSP; I OBSERVED A RAMP COORDINATOR DRAGGING TRASH TO THE BIN STATIONED IN THE VESTIBULE. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO WALK BTWN THE JETWAY AND THE ACFT AND CUT THROUGH THE L PROP RESTR AREA TO GO TO THE GPU. THE PROP WAS STILL SPINNING SLOWLY. WHILE WAITING TO START ENGS IN MSP; THE SAME RAMP COORDINATOR SHOWED UP AT DEP TIME AND TRIED TO START THE ACFT WITHOUT ANY WANDS OF ANY KIND. I SIGNALED THE NEED FOR WANDS AND HE GAVE AN EXPRESSION OF FRUSTRATION. HE RETURNED ABOUT 5 MINS LATER WITH WANDS. THE MIKE WAS NOT USED AND HE APPEARED TO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO USE IT. I QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT THE MIKE BEING INOP; AND HE JUST USED HAND SIGNALS. AFTER PUSHBACK WAS COMPLETED; THE HEADSET WAS DISCONNECTED AND I OBSERVED HIM BASICALLY THROW THE HEADSET DOWN ONTO THE BED OF THE CART. HE GAVE A NONSTANDARD WAVE-OFF AND DROVE OFF. THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT TO GET AN ADDITIONAL MARSHALLER; WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN REQUIRED SINCE THE PUSHBACK DRIVER DID NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE CREW. ON A SIDE NOTE; WE CONTACTED OPS FOR OUR OUT-TIME AND FOUND THAT BECAUSE OF AN UNCOMMANDED BRAKE RELEASE THE TIME WAS SENT AS ON-TIME. THE RAMP COORDINATOR DID NOT RETURN UNTIL 5 MINS PAST SCHEDULED DEP TIME WHEN ENGS WERE STARTED. WE INFORMED OPS OF THIS AND THE TOLD US TO CONTACT DISPATCH. WE INFORMED DISPATCH AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD MAKE THE CHANGE. UPON VERIFICATION OF OUR OUT-TIME I NOTED THAT THE TIME STILL SHOWED US AS ON-TIME. I GUESS I CAN JUST KEEP THE PAY. WHILE WAITING TO PARK IN DTW; I OBSERVED CHOCKS NEAR THE PROP RESTR AREA; NEAR THE PARKING T WITHIN THE CLR ZONE. I SIGNALED THAT THE CHOCKS NEEDED TO BE MOVED CLR OF THE CLR ZONE. THE RAMP PERSON MOVED THEM ABOUT 2 FT AND STILL WITHIN THE CLR ZONE. THEY WERE REMOVED PRIOR TO PARKING. WHILE DOING MY POSTFLT INSPECTION; I NOTICED THAT THE EVER PRESENT FUELER BIN WAS IN THE CLR ZONE ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. IT WAS NOT IN CONTAINMENT MARKINGS AND IS NOT A REQUIRED PIECE OF EQUIP. WHILE WAITING TO PUSH BACK IN DTW; THE TUG OPERATOR RESPONDED TO MY INITIAL CALL WITH HAND SIGNALS THAT THE MIKE WAS INOP. NO PREVIOUS COM HAD BEEN MADE TO MAKE ME AWARE OF THIS CONDITION; ALTHOUGH THIS SEEMS TO BE THE NORM ALTHOUGH NOT AN SOP. WHILE WAITING TO PARK IN DTW; I NOTICED A MAINT CART IN THE R PROP RESTR AREA. THE MARSHALLER WAS ATTEMPTING TO MARSHAL ME IN FOR PARKING AND A MECH CAME TO MOVE THE CART PRIOR TO MY PARKING. THERE WAS ALSO A FUELER BIN IN THE R CLR ZONE THAT I SIGNALED TO BE REMOVED PRIOR TO PARKING. AFTER PARKING AND JUST AFTER SHUTDOWN; I OBSERVED THE RAMP PERSON THAT PARKED US CUT THROUGH THE PROP RESTR AREA WHILE THE PROP WAS STILL SPINNING. WHILE ESTABLISHING COM WITH THE TUG DRIVER IN DTW HE RESPONDED THAT THE MIKE WAS INOP. MY ENG WAS ALREADY RUNNING. PUSHBACK WAS MADE USING A MIX OF HAND SIGNALS AND VERBAL COM. UPON PARKING IN DTW I OBSERVED THE MARSHALLER DO EVERYTHING IN ACCORDANCE WITH SOP. AFTER THE CHOCKS-IN SIGNAL WAS GIVEN; IRONICALLY WITH WANDS (WHICH IS NOT VERY COMMON) THE PERSON THEN PROCEEDED TO WALK BTWN THE JETWAY AND THE PROP RESTR AREA. WHEN JUST OUTSIDE OF THE PROP ARC; SHE PROCEEDED INTO THE PROP RESTR AREA THEN TURNED AROUND WITH HER BACK TO THE PROP AND WALKED OVER TO THE JETWAYTO GET THE CARRY-ON BAG CART. WHILE WAITING TO PARK IN MSP I OBSERVED A LARGE PIECE OF FOD JUST TO THE L OF THE TAXI LINE. MOST LIKELY PAPER OR BAG TAGS. IT TOOK AT LEAST 1 MIN AND MANY SIGNALS TO GET THE RAMP PERSON TO STOP TRYING TO MARSHAL ME IN FOR PARKING AND EVEN AWARE OF THIS PIECE OF FOD. HAVING SAID THIS; FOD IS A HUGE PROB IN MOST OF OUR PARKING LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR SYS. BY NOT TAXIING; THE RAMP PERSON APPEARED CONFUSED AS TO WHY I COULDN'T TAXI IN; APPARENTLY OBLIVIOUS TO THE FOD PREVENTING MY TAXI. THE FOD WAS REMOVED -- WELL AT LEAST THE PIECE PROHIBITING MY TAXI -- AND THE ACFT WAS PARKED. WHILE PUSHING BACK IN MSP WITH 2-WAY COMS ESTABLISHED; THE TUG OPERATOR; I FOUND THAT HE CHOSE TO STOP USING VERBAL COMS AND JUST USE HAND SIGNALS. THERE SEEMS TO BE A TRAINING ISSUE WITH SOP REQUIRING THAT 2-WAY COMS MUST BE USED! AFTER PARKING IN DLH; AND JUST AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGS; THE MARSHALLER THAT PARKED ME APCHED THE ACFT WITH THE PAPERWORK INTENDING TO HAND IT THROUGH THE CREW ACCESS HATCH. WHEN I IGNORED HER WAVING THE PAPERWORK AT ME SHE THEN KNOCKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ACFT WHILE THE PROP WAS STILL SLOWING. ONLY AFTER THE PROP STOPPED DID I OPEN THE CREW ACCESS HATCH. TECHNICALLY; SHE WAS WITHIN THE PROP RESTR AREA WHILE TRYING TO GET MY ATTN AND ONLY LEFT THE AREA AFTER I HAD RECEIVED THE PAPERWORK. UPON PARKING IN MSP I NOTED; AS IS COMMON TO MSP; THAT THE RAMP PERSON WAS USING THE VERY OLD AND FOR DAY-USE ONLY WANDS.

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.