B737 flight crew reported ramp personnel deviations from SOP during and after pushback created an un...

Attributes
ACN	1331673
Time
Date	201602
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	ANC.Airport
State Reference	AK
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 128 Flight Crew Type 3332
Person 2
Function	Pilot Not Flying First Officer
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 137 Flight Crew Total 9793 Flight Crew Type 1317
Events
Anomaly	Conflict Ground Conflict Critical Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown

Narrative:

We were pushing back to be decided in anc. Pre-brief in cockpit with type and all we had was frost on wings from fueling. Pushback was normal SOP up until 'set brakes' from the ground crew. The next command was to configure for de-icing and I said standby. We configured and deiced per the checklist. De-ice was completed followed by the following command. Ground said 'cleared to start engines and aircraft is clear'. I said clear to start to the first officer and we started the engines. During this process I realized that things were different and I did not see a marshal out front and I asked the first officer if he saw the tractor and he said yes. I then mentally assumed that the contract operations people disconnected on their own and just left the area. I never got the tow bar call but knew the crew had indeed left the scene. No marshal out front and we ran after start checklist and flow and call for taxi. Cleared to taxi and I then turned the light on and released the parking brake. We never moved due to the communication from the person still hooked up to the aircraft. Reset parking brake and the person ran out front with arms crossed and I flashed him and he ran off toward the gate. We then composed ourselves and called ops about the marshal position and lack of communication.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 flight crew reported ramp personnel deviations from SOP during and after pushback created an unsafe situation.

Narrative: We were pushing back to be decided in ANC. Pre-Brief in cockpit with type and all we had was frost on wings from fueling. Pushback was normal SOP up until 'set brakes' from the ground crew. The next command was to configure for de-icing and I said standby. We configured and deiced per the checklist. De-ice was completed followed by the following command. Ground said 'Cleared to start engines and Aircraft is clear'. I said clear to start to the FO and we started the engines. During this process I realized that things were different and I did not see a Marshal out front and I asked the FO if he saw the tractor and he said yes. I then mentally assumed that the contract operations people disconnected on their own and just left the area. I never got the tow bar call but knew the crew had indeed left the scene. No Marshal out front and we ran after start checklist and flow and call for taxi. Cleared to taxi and I then turned the light on and released the parking brake. We never moved due to the communication from the person still hooked up to the aircraft. Reset parking brake and the person ran out front with arms crossed and I flashed him and he ran off toward the gate. We then composed ourselves and called ops about the Marshal position and lack of communication.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.