Narrative:

Preparing to get underway from orh, checklists completed, the captain was in communication with the pushback crew and commenced with push. Both the captain and I had carefully reviewed the advisory page in the route manual and there was no mention of push clearance required on the ramp in orh. I monitored ground and a couple of seconds into push ground control asked if we were on frequency and aware that push clearance is required, and that an small aircraft was on the active taxiway bordering the ramp's edge. I immediately told the captain and rechked visually and saw the small aircraft was well clear of us on the active taxiway. We were still on the ramp. The captain relayed all of this to the pushback crew. By this time pushback was complete. The tug operator had seen the small aircraft, he said, and stated we were well clear, with from what I could see, I concurred. We relayed our apologies for the push, however there was no procedure mentioned and the pushback crew was not aware of the requirement either. Since this occurrence, the captain has sent the orh station manager/chief pilot clt and tower personnel orh a letter to explain, and hopefully get a published procedure so all air/ground aware of the local requirement. I feel the captain and I are very careful airmen, and had there been any way for us to have known, the occurrence would never have happened. In future operations, I plan on calling for a clearance any time we push, regardless if a written procedure exists or not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING PUSHBACK OF AN MLG, THE FLT CREW WAS ADVISED BY THE TWR GND CTLR THAT A PUSHBACK CLRNC WAS REQUIRED AT ORH.

Narrative: PREPARING TO GET UNDERWAY FROM ORH, CHKLISTS COMPLETED, THE CAPT WAS IN COM WITH THE PUSHBACK CREW AND COMMENCED WITH PUSH. BOTH THE CAPT AND I HAD CAREFULLY REVIEWED THE ADVISORY PAGE IN THE RTE MANUAL AND THERE WAS NO MENTION OF PUSH CLRNC REQUIRED ON THE RAMP IN ORH. I MONITORED GND AND A COUPLE OF SECS INTO PUSH GND CTL ASKED IF WE WERE ON FREQ AND AWARE THAT PUSH CLRNC IS REQUIRED, AND THAT AN SMA WAS ON THE ACTIVE TXWY BORDERING THE RAMP'S EDGE. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE CAPT AND RECHKED VISUALLY AND SAW THE SMA WAS WELL CLR OF US ON THE ACTIVE TXWY. WE WERE STILL ON THE RAMP. THE CAPT RELAYED ALL OF THIS TO THE PUSHBACK CREW. BY THIS TIME PUSHBACK WAS COMPLETE. THE TUG OPERATOR HAD SEEN THE SMA, HE SAID, AND STATED WE WERE WELL CLR, WITH FROM WHAT I COULD SEE, I CONCURRED. WE RELAYED OUR APOLOGIES FOR THE PUSH, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO PROC MENTIONED AND THE PUSHBACK CREW WAS NOT AWARE OF THE REQUIREMENT EITHER. SINCE THIS OCCURRENCE, THE CAPT HAS SENT THE ORH STATION MGR/CHIEF PLT CLT AND TWR PERSONNEL ORH A LETTER TO EXPLAIN, AND HOPEFULLY GET A PUBLISHED PROC SO ALL AIR/GND AWARE OF THE LCL REQUIREMENT. I FEEL THE CAPT AND I ARE VERY CAREFUL AIRMEN, AND HAD THERE BEEN ANY WAY FOR US TO HAVE KNOWN, THE OCCURRENCE WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. IN FUTURE OPS, I PLAN ON CALLING FOR A CLRNC ANY TIME WE PUSH, REGARDLESS IF A WRITTEN PROC EXISTS OR NOT.

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.