Narrative:

I was the captain on flight xx out of providence, ri, yesterday morning, aug/wed/89. We pushed back from the gate at xa local time, 27 mins late, because of our late arrival from ord. Ramp informed us it would be an irregular push in that we would be pushed farther back than usual and to one side, to enable an inbound medium large transport-2 to use our gate. Pushback proceeded. I declined to start engines during the push. I did not want to be distracted from the irregular pushback activity. Clearance informed us immediately prior to push that we had a wheels in the well window of xb/sc local. After push was completed we started #1 (medium large transport-1) normally. The other aircraft arrived as we were starting #2. We checked his wingtip clearance closely as he neared. He was moving very slowly, as the clearance was closer than usual. We got cut-out on #2 as he eased by our nose. I heard ground control call over my first officer's speaker, asking us if the other aircraft would have room to taxi in to the gate. My first officer appeared not to have heard the call, so I switched over to ground and told them that we had been informed by ramp that we were positioned to allow the other aircraft access to the gate. The medium large transport-2 was passing our nose at this time. I watched his clearance closely. I turned down my intercom volume, to hear ground more clearly as they rogered my comment. We completed our after start checklist and called for taxi after the medium large transport-2 had arrived at the gate. We were cleared to taxi. Our aircraft was on a slight uphill grade, with our tail directed toward ramp equipment and a gate, so I eased just a little throttle to start moving very slowly. We had only 4 minutes left to get to the runway to meet our 'window'. As I confirmed the taxi route with my first officer he suddenly announced that he didn't think we had gotten a salute and release from guidance from the ramp man. We called below. No answer. We had moved about 20' at this time, very slowly. I saw no ramp man anywhere in view, so assumed he had disconnected when I first acknowledged ground control earlier. I was certain he had interpreted my call as my 'disconnect' signal. I never saw him salute or release us from guidance. We taxied to the runway and proceeded to ord uneventfully. Supplemental information from acn 119043: the abnormality being, that the captain began his taxi without a release from our pushback crew. He was still hooked up with a headset to our aircraft. Fortunately, he did get out of the way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER ACFT BEGAN TAXI WITHOUT SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE BY GND PUSHBACK PERSONNEL. NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT XX OUT OF PROVIDENCE, RI, YESTERDAY MORNING, AUG/WED/89. WE PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE AT XA LCL TIME, 27 MINS LATE, BECAUSE OF OUR LATE ARR FROM ORD. RAMP INFORMED US IT WOULD BE AN IRREGULAR PUSH IN THAT WE WOULD BE PUSHED FARTHER BACK THAN USUAL AND TO ONE SIDE, TO ENABLE AN INBND MLG-2 TO USE OUR GATE. PUSHBACK PROCEEDED. I DECLINED TO START ENGINES DURING THE PUSH. I DID NOT WANT TO BE DISTRACTED FROM THE IRREGULAR PUSHBACK ACTIVITY. CLRNC INFORMED US IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO PUSH THAT WE HAD A WHEELS IN THE WELL WINDOW OF XB/SC LCL. AFTER PUSH WAS COMPLETED WE STARTED #1 (MLG-1) NORMALLY. THE OTHER ACFT ARRIVED AS WE WERE STARTING #2. WE CHECKED HIS WINGTIP CLRNC CLOSELY AS HE NEARED. HE WAS MOVING VERY SLOWLY, AS THE CLRNC WAS CLOSER THAN USUAL. WE GOT CUT-OUT ON #2 AS HE EASED BY OUR NOSE. I HEARD GND CTL CALL OVER MY F/O'S SPEAKER, ASKING US IF THE OTHER ACFT WOULD HAVE ROOM TO TAXI IN TO THE GATE. MY F/O APPEARED NOT TO HAVE HEARD THE CALL, SO I SWITCHED OVER TO GND AND TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD BEEN INFORMED BY RAMP THAT WE WERE POSITIONED TO ALLOW THE OTHER ACFT ACCESS TO THE GATE. THE MLG-2 WAS PASSING OUR NOSE AT THIS TIME. I WATCHED HIS CLRNC CLOSELY. I TURNED DOWN MY INTERCOM VOLUME, TO HEAR GND MORE CLEARLY AS THEY ROGERED MY COMMENT. WE COMPLETED OUR AFTER START CHECKLIST AND CALLED FOR TAXI AFTER THE MLG-2 HAD ARRIVED AT THE GATE. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI. OUR ACFT WAS ON A SLIGHT UPHILL GRADE, WITH OUR TAIL DIRECTED TOWARD RAMP EQUIPMENT AND A GATE, SO I EASED JUST A LITTLE THROTTLE TO START MOVING VERY SLOWLY. WE HAD ONLY 4 MINUTES LEFT TO GET TO THE RWY TO MEET OUR 'WINDOW'. AS I CONFIRMED THE TAXI ROUTE WITH MY F/O HE SUDDENLY ANNOUNCED THAT HE DIDN'T THINK WE HAD GOTTEN A SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE FROM THE RAMP MAN. WE CALLED BELOW. NO ANSWER. WE HAD MOVED ABOUT 20' AT THIS TIME, VERY SLOWLY. I SAW NO RAMP MAN ANYWHERE IN VIEW, SO ASSUMED HE HAD DISCONNECTED WHEN I FIRST ACKNOWLEDGED GND CTL EARLIER. I WAS CERTAIN HE HAD INTERPRETED MY CALL AS MY 'DISCONNECT' SIGNAL. I NEVER SAW HIM SALUTE OR RELEASE US FROM GUIDANCE. WE TAXIED TO THE RWY AND PROCEEDED TO ORD UNEVENTFULLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 119043: THE ABNORMALITY BEING, THAT THE CAPT BEGAN HIS TAXI WITHOUT A RELEASE FROM OUR PUSHBACK CREW. HE WAS STILL HOOKED UP WITH A HEADSET TO OUR ACFT. FORTUNATELY, HE DID GET OUT OF THE WAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.