Narrative:

Ready for pushback at sfo gate. The tug driver checked in and informed us he was ready. I replied we would call ground for clearance; as it is necessary to push out of our alley and onto taxiway a. Ground cleared us to push into the alley; but hold short of taxiway a. I had to sound a ground horn to get the tug driver's attention; to relay the instructions. He began the push. The tug only pushed us out of the gate which is far from taxiway a; so again I had to sound a horn to get his direction and repeated to him to push back; but hold short of taxiway a. I also asked him why I had to sound the horn every time I needed to speak to him; and he blamed his headset; which made no sense as we could talk every time I sounded the horn. As we pushed towards taxiway a; I sensed he was going to now push us onto taxiway a; so I called him; but this time nothing got his attention: not the headset; nor the ground horn; not even all the lights on a B767. It was daytime; but the landing lights on the nose are very bright and he was eye level and looking right at them. Finally; I got a wing walker's attention and he got the driver to stop. In the meanwhile; I saw that no aircraft were approaching on taxiway a; so I never felt the jet was in danger and did not take more aggressive action that may have damaged the nose gear; tow bar; and very importantly; ground personnel. Naturally; ground control was a little busy and it took a moment to get a call to them. By now we were pulling back into the alleyway; and ground cleared us onto taxiway a. The pushback then proceeded without incident. I don't know if the tug driver's headset was faulty; but more believe he was not properly trained to keep it securely on his ears and to respond to voice; and lights. I did call air carrier operations and report the behavior.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SFO ACR PUSH BACK CREW DID NOT MAINTAIN COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE CAPT DURING PUSH BACK AFTER BEING TOLD TO REMAIN CLEAR OF TXWY.

Narrative: READY FOR PUSHBACK AT SFO GATE. THE TUG DRIVER CHKED IN AND INFORMED US HE WAS READY. I REPLIED WE WOULD CALL GND FOR CLRNC; AS IT IS NECESSARY TO PUSH OUT OF OUR ALLEY AND ONTO TXWY A. GND CLRED US TO PUSH INTO THE ALLEY; BUT HOLD SHORT OF TXWY A. I HAD TO SOUND A GND HORN TO GET THE TUG DRIVER'S ATTN; TO RELAY THE INSTRUCTIONS. HE BEGAN THE PUSH. THE TUG ONLY PUSHED US OUT OF THE GATE WHICH IS FAR FROM TXWY A; SO AGAIN I HAD TO SOUND A HORN TO GET HIS DIRECTION AND REPEATED TO HIM TO PUSH BACK; BUT HOLD SHORT OF TXWY A. I ALSO ASKED HIM WHY I HAD TO SOUND THE HORN EVERY TIME I NEEDED TO SPEAK TO HIM; AND HE BLAMED HIS HEADSET; WHICH MADE NO SENSE AS WE COULD TALK EVERY TIME I SOUNDED THE HORN. AS WE PUSHED TOWARDS TXWY A; I SENSED HE WAS GOING TO NOW PUSH US ONTO TXWY A; SO I CALLED HIM; BUT THIS TIME NOTHING GOT HIS ATTN: NOT THE HEADSET; NOR THE GND HORN; NOT EVEN ALL THE LIGHTS ON A B767. IT WAS DAYTIME; BUT THE LNDG LIGHTS ON THE NOSE ARE VERY BRIGHT AND HE WAS EYE LEVEL AND LOOKING RIGHT AT THEM. FINALLY; I GOT A WING WALKER'S ATTN AND HE GOT THE DRIVER TO STOP. IN THE MEANWHILE; I SAW THAT NO ACFT WERE APCHING ON TXWY A; SO I NEVER FELT THE JET WAS IN DANGER AND DID NOT TAKE MORE AGGRESSIVE ACTION THAT MAY HAVE DAMAGED THE NOSE GEAR; TOW BAR; AND VERY IMPORTANTLY; GND PERSONNEL. NATURALLY; GND CTL WAS A LITTLE BUSY AND IT TOOK A MOMENT TO GET A CALL TO THEM. BY NOW WE WERE PULLING BACK INTO THE ALLEYWAY; AND GND CLRED US ONTO TXWY A. THE PUSHBACK THEN PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DON'T KNOW IF THE TUG DRIVER'S HEADSET WAS FAULTY; BUT MORE BELIEVE HE WAS NOT PROPERLY TRAINED TO KEEP IT SECURELY ON HIS EARS AND TO RESPOND TO VOICE; AND LIGHTS. I DID CALL ACR OPS AND RPT THE BEHAVIOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.