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An A320 flight crew reported efforts by ramp personnel to achieve an on time departure might have been inappropriate.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 850209 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200909 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601-1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Not Flying Captain |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150 Flight Crew Total 15000 Flight Crew Type 2500 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | First Officer Pilot Flying |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200 Flight Crew Total 11500 Flight Crew Type 2500 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
Prior to departure I received four calls from the pushback driver. All four interrupted cockpit duties; i.e. Briefings; setups and checklists. Only two of these calls were necessary. After the third call informing that the ramp was ready for pushback; I replied; 'roger; standby'. It was about 5 minutes prior to departure time. Two minutes later the driver called me and; in violation of SOP; asked me to release the brakes for an 'on time departure'. I firmly informed the driver that 1) they were delaying the departure by interrupting the checklist; 2) they had been told to 'standby' and they should not call us unless there is an emergency or some very important reason; 3) we were 3 minutes from departure time. The driver made it clear to me that the ramp supervisor was standing there and had ordered the driver to ask for brake release. I know that management/supervisory people get bonuses based on their station's on-time performance. So is it ok for them to try to pad their paycheck by violating SOP? Not too long ago; management was threatening to terminate any pilot who released the parking brake in violation of SOP because the pilot might get a few more minutes of pay. This supervisor should be disciplined for attempting to coerce a junior employee into violating SOP and I should receive an apology in writing from his supervisor.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: An A320 flight crew reported efforts by ramp personnel to achieve an on time departure might have been inappropriate.
Narrative: Prior to departure I received four calls from the Pushback Driver. All four interrupted cockpit duties; i.e. briefings; setups and checklists. Only two of these calls were necessary. After the third call informing that the ramp was ready for pushback; I replied; 'Roger; standby'. It was about 5 minutes prior to departure time. Two minutes later the Driver called me and; IN VIOLATION OF SOP; asked me to release the brakes for an 'on time departure'. I firmly informed the Driver that 1) they were delaying the departure by interrupting the checklist; 2) they had been told to 'standby' and they should not call us unless there is an emergency or some very important reason; 3) we were 3 minutes from departure time. The Driver made it clear to me that the Ramp Supervisor was standing there and had ordered the Driver to ask for brake release. I know that management/supervisory people get bonuses based on their station's on-time performance. So is it OK for THEM to try to pad their paycheck by violating SOP? Not too long ago; management was threatening to TERMINATE any pilot who released the parking brake in violation of SOP because the pilot might get a few more minutes of pay. This Supervisor should be disciplined for attempting to coerce a junior employee into violating SOP and I should receive an apology in writing from his Supervisor.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.