Narrative:

Air carrier controls pushback in alleys at dtw. We called for pushback clearance from ramp control and here told to, 'stand by.' 2 mins later ramp control said, 'XXX cleared to push (garbled), large transport inbound and (garbled) medium large transport Y at 11.' it is common practice to push back further into alley and let inbound traffic get to gate in front. I instructed push back crew to look for an large transport and an medium large transport Y. They said they didn't see any aircraft. I told them, 'cleared to push,' but pushed us back in alley so large transport could get in. We were in east. While we pushed, I then told ramp control our pushback crew did not see an large transport or an medium large transport Y. She said, 'they can't see them now; they will in 30 seconds.' approximately 1 min later the ramp controller, in a shrill voice, said, 'who is pushing out of east?' then, on same frequency, she told large transport to stay out of alley because an medium large transport X had, 'pushed on their own.' then asked us who cleared us to push. I said she had, but that her instructions were not clear in the first place. (It was clear that we were cleared to push, but not about the 2 aircraft.) I then told her there was room to get the large transport in to gate, but she cleared an medium large transport Y out of east, instead. I asked what she wanted us to do. She responded, 'just follow them like I told you to and don't talk to me again!'

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WAS CLEARED TO PUSH BACK FROM GATE AT DTW WITH RESTRICTIONS THAT THE FLT CREW DID NOT UNDERSTAND. CAPT GAVE GND CREW THE OK, BUT ACFT INTERFERED WITH OTHER TRAFFIC.

Narrative: ACR CTLS PUSHBACK IN ALLEYS AT DTW. WE CALLED FOR PUSHBACK CLRNC FROM RAMP CTL AND HERE TOLD TO, 'STAND BY.' 2 MINS LATER RAMP CTL SAID, 'XXX CLRED TO PUSH (GARBLED), LGT INBND AND (GARBLED) MLG Y AT 11.' IT IS COMMON PRACTICE TO PUSH BACK FURTHER INTO ALLEY AND LET INBND TFC GET TO GATE IN FRONT. I INSTRUCTED PUSH BACK CREW TO LOOK FOR AN LGT AND AN MLG Y. THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T SEE ANY ACFT. I TOLD THEM, 'CLRED TO PUSH,' BUT PUSHED US BACK IN ALLEY SO LGT COULD GET IN. WE WERE IN E. WHILE WE PUSHED, I THEN TOLD RAMP CTL OUR PUSHBACK CREW DID NOT SEE AN LGT OR AN MLG Y. SHE SAID, 'THEY CAN'T SEE THEM NOW; THEY WILL IN 30 SECS.' APPROX 1 MIN LATER THE RAMP CTLR, IN A SHRILL VOICE, SAID, 'WHO IS PUSHING OUT OF E?' THEN, ON SAME FREQ, SHE TOLD LGT TO STAY OUT OF ALLEY BECAUSE AN MLG X HAD, 'PUSHED ON THEIR OWN.' THEN ASKED US WHO CLRED US TO PUSH. I SAID SHE HAD, BUT THAT HER INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT CLR IN THE FIRST PLACE. (IT WAS CLR THAT WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH, BUT NOT ABOUT THE 2 ACFT.) I THEN TOLD HER THERE WAS ROOM TO GET THE LGT IN TO GATE, BUT SHE CLRED AN MLG Y OUT OF E, INSTEAD. I ASKED WHAT SHE WANTED US TO DO. SHE RESPONDED, 'JUST FOLLOW THEM LIKE I TOLD YOU TO AND DON'T TALK TO ME AGAIN!'

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.