Narrative:

When our pushback crew advised that they were ready for push I completed the checklists and requested the first officer to get clearance. Ramp control advised that we were cleared for push and we started the push procedure. However, the push procedure required pushing onto the active taxiway with clearance from ground control. The first officer assumed that the clearance from ramp control was sufficient and advised me that we were cleared for pushback. Ground control inquired if we were on the taxiway and became rather irate at our not having called them for the proper clearance. Due to the small size of the operations area the taxiway and ramp area are somewhat ill-defined and in some cases the engine start is accomplished at the gate with no push required, just a call to ground for taxi. The briefing page for our operations states that pushback clearance is required but does not state whether from ramp and or ground control. A comply operational NOTAM had been in effect reminding pilots to call ground if the pushback would occur onto the taxiway. Although I was aware of these requirements, I should not have assumed that the first officer was also aware of the proper procedures and should have briefed the pushback procedure more thoroughly beforehand.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF MLG OBTAINED PUSHBACK CLRNC FROM RAMP CTL, BUT FAILED TO OBTAIN TWR GND CTL CLRNC FOR ENTERING THE TXWY DURING PUSHBACK. TWR CTLR REPRIMANDED FLT CREW. FO INDICATES RESENTMENT.

Narrative: WHEN OUR PUSHBACK CREW ADVISED THAT THEY WERE READY FOR PUSH I COMPLETED THE CHKLISTS AND REQUESTED THE F/O TO GET CLRNC. RAMP CTL ADVISED THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR PUSH AND WE STARTED THE PUSH PROC. HOWEVER, THE PUSH PROC REQUIRED PUSHING ONTO THE ACTIVE TXWY WITH CLRNC FROM GND CTL. THE F/O ASSUMED THAT THE CLRNC FROM RAMP CTL WAS SUFFICIENT AND ADVISED ME THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR PUSHBACK. GND CTL INQUIRED IF WE WERE ON THE TXWY AND BECAME RATHER IRATE AT OUR NOT HAVING CALLED THEM FOR THE PROPER CLRNC. DUE TO THE SMALL SIZE OF THE OPS AREA THE TXWY AND RAMP AREA ARE SOMEWHAT ILL-DEFINED AND IN SOME CASES THE ENG START IS ACCOMPLISHED AT THE GATE WITH NO PUSH REQUIRED, JUST A CALL TO GND FOR TAXI. THE BRIEFING PAGE FOR OUR OPS STATES THAT PUSHBACK CLRNC IS REQUIRED BUT DOES NOT STATE WHETHER FROM RAMP AND OR GND CTL. A COMPLY OPERATIONAL NOTAM HAD BEEN IN EFFECT REMINDING PLTS TO CALL GND IF THE PUSHBACK WOULD OCCUR ONTO THE TXWY. ALTHOUGH I WAS AWARE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS, I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASSUMED THAT THE F/O WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE PROPER PROCS AND SHOULD HAVE BRIEFED THE PUSHBACK PROC MORE THOROUGHLY BEFOREHAND.

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.