Unauthorized power back used in lieu of ramp operation pushback.

Attributes
ACN	204722
Time
Date	199203
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oma
State Reference	NE
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	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	204722
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

During pushback from gate at oma contract ramp personnel advised the captain of flight that the tow bar was broken and no other was available. The captain asked me to request a power back clearance from ground control. Power back clearance was granted and we commenced our power back. Flight departed for dsm without incident. The air carrier chief pilot in pit informed me several days later, the FAA was requesting information regarding this particular operation. Apparently, the air carrier operations specifications does not authorize power back procedures at oma. Since neither the captain nor I had flown into oma previously, we were unaware of this. Our flight was an extra segment added onto our trip pairing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTHORIZED PWR BACK USED IN LIEU OF RAMP OP PUSHBACK.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK FROM GATE AT OMA CONTRACT RAMP PERSONNEL ADVISED THE CAPT OF FLT THAT THE TOW BAR WAS BROKEN AND NO OTHER WAS AVAILABLE. THE CAPT ASKED ME TO REQUEST A PWR BACK CLRNC FROM GND CTL. PWR BACK CLRNC WAS GRANTED AND WE COMMENCED OUR PWR BACK. FLT DEPARTED FOR DSM WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ACR CHIEF PLT IN PIT INFORMED ME SEVERAL DAYS LATER, THE FAA WAS REQUESTING INFO REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR OP. APPARENTLY, THE ACR OPS SPECS DOES NOT AUTHORIZE PWR BACK PROCS AT OMA. SINCE NEITHER THE CAPT NOR I HAD FLOWN INTO OMA PREVIOUSLY, WE WERE UNAWARE OF THIS. OUR FLT WAS AN EXTRA SEGMENT ADDED ONTO OUR TRIP PAIRING.

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.