Air carrier being deiced. Ground crew requests they push back in order to deice nose area. Pushed on...

Attributes
ACN	234971
Time
Date	199302
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
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 : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	234971
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

We elected to get the aircraft deiced at the gate to insure it was done properly. The deice crew told us that we needed to be pushed back a few ft so they could deice the nose of the aircraft. This request was unusual. We thought they would push us out only a few ft. Instead, they pushed us out onto a controled taxiway without a clearance. The radio was so congested that we were unable to get through to ground control for 5 mins or more. When we did, ground control was unaware of what we had done. The ground control or tower for dtw airport is almost 1 mi from where the gates are. They cannot see well enough to adequately and 'safely' control traffic in the gate area. 1) they should give control to the inner taxiway at dtw to air carrier ramp control. They can see all gates very well from 'G' gates to 'C' gates. They could 'safely' handle all traffic in this area. They could even hire a crew of non federal air traffic controllers to do it. Or, 2) put a small team of federal controllers back in the old tower to handle the traffic that cannot be seen and controled 'safety' from the new tower. The controllers cannot do their job safely from the new tower until the new terminal is built.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR BEING DEICED. GND CREW REQUESTS THEY PUSH BACK IN ORDER TO DEICE NOSE AREA. PUSHED ONTO ACTIVE TAXI AREA. NO CLRNC.

Narrative: WE ELECTED TO GET THE ACFT DEICED AT THE GATE TO INSURE IT WAS DONE PROPERLY. THE DEICE CREW TOLD US THAT WE NEEDED TO BE PUSHED BACK A FEW FT SO THEY COULD DEICE THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. THIS REQUEST WAS UNUSUAL. WE THOUGHT THEY WOULD PUSH US OUT ONLY A FEW FT. INSTEAD, THEY PUSHED US OUT ONTO A CTLED TXWY WITHOUT A CLRNC. THE RADIO WAS SO CONGESTED THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO GET THROUGH TO GND CTL FOR 5 MINS OR MORE. WHEN WE DID, GND CTL WAS UNAWARE OF WHAT WE HAD DONE. THE GND CTL OR TWR FOR DTW ARPT IS ALMOST 1 MI FROM WHERE THE GATES ARE. THEY CANNOT SEE WELL ENOUGH TO ADEQUATELY AND 'SAFELY' CTL TFC IN THE GATE AREA. 1) THEY SHOULD GIVE CTL TO THE INNER TXWY AT DTW TO ACR RAMP CTL. THEY CAN SEE ALL GATES VERY WELL FROM 'G' GATES TO 'C' GATES. THEY COULD 'SAFELY' HANDLE ALL TFC IN THIS AREA. THEY COULD EVEN HIRE A CREW OF NON FEDERAL AIR TFC CTLRS TO DO IT. OR, 2) PUT A SMALL TEAM OF FEDERAL CTLRS BACK IN THE OLD TWR TO HANDLE THE TFC THAT CANNOT BE SEEN AND CTLED 'SAFETY' FROM THE NEW TWR. THE CTLRS CANNOT DO THEIR JOB SAFELY FROM THE NEW TWR UNTIL THE NEW TERMINAL IS BUILT.

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.

Air carrier being deiced. Ground crew requests they push back in order to deice nose area. Pushed onto active taxi area. No clearance.