Ramp pushback procedure confusion.

Attributes
ACN	142092
Time
Date	199004
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6710 flight time type : 1229
ASRS Report	142092
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I called for pushback clearance from gate xx. The ramp controller asked for the departure vector (E-1 or E-2). I returned to clearance delivery, received the departure vector and then returned to ramp control. The ramp controller advised to exit the ramp south and the taxi route. We then pwred back and started to taxi when ramp control advised that we were not cleared to push. I replied that since he had given us the ramp exit we were cleared to push (much the same as when ground control clears an aircraft to taxi to a runway they are cleared to cross all runways). In the future when dealing with non-ATC trained personnel, it is important to make sure all clrncs and instructions are clearly understood by all parties. I assumed that being given a ramp exit and a proposed taxi route implied that we had clearance to push back.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAMP PUSHBACK PROC CONFUSION.

Narrative: I CALLED FOR PUSHBACK CLRNC FROM GATE XX. THE RAMP CTLR ASKED FOR THE DEP VECTOR (E-1 OR E-2). I RETURNED TO CLRNC DELIVERY, RECEIVED THE DEP VECTOR AND THEN RETURNED TO RAMP CTL. THE RAMP CTLR ADVISED TO EXIT THE RAMP S AND THE TAXI RTE. WE THEN PWRED BACK AND STARTED TO TAXI WHEN RAMP CTL ADVISED THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED TO PUSH. I REPLIED THAT SINCE HE HAD GIVEN US THE RAMP EXIT WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH (MUCH THE SAME AS WHEN GND CTL CLRS AN ACFT TO TAXI TO A RWY THEY ARE CLRED TO CROSS ALL RWYS). IN THE FUTURE WHEN DEALING WITH NON-ATC TRAINED PERSONNEL, IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE ALL CLRNCS AND INSTRUCTIONS ARE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD BY ALL PARTIES. I ASSUMED THAT BEING GIVEN A RAMP EXIT AND A PROPOSED TAXI RTE IMPLIED THAT WE HAD CLRNC TO PUSH BACK.

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