Narrative:

After receiving pushback clearance from ground, who also wanted us to push back deep in the valley, I advised our pushback driver in accordance with sops that we were cleared to push deep into the alley. The tug driver advised me that he couldn't see any reason to do that and that there were no inbound aircraft that he could see. I informed him that we didn't know why but that he wanted us to push deep into the alley. I also said we would ask ground if there was another aircraft we were holding for. Msp ground control was extremely busy so we were not able to ask and it was not appropriate. The tug driver then proceeded to pull the aircraft forward instead of following my direction to push back deep in the alley. He then informed me that he didn't see any reason to do this and that he was going to pull us forward. I then told my first officer to call ground and tell them we were being towed to the front part of the alley. Once again ground was extremely busy so we were unable to communicate with msp ground control. I also attempted again to try to persuade the tug driver to push us deep in the alley, he ignored my request. Once we were in the front part of the alley, msp ground control informed us that he wanted us to push deep in the alley for the company aircraft that was now approaching off our left and that we should at least move to the right to allow him to get by. Once again we tried to no avail to communicate with msp ground due to congestion on the frequency. When we were stopped, I again relayed my displeasure to the tug driver, and told him that we could be violated for not following nd control's direction. He then told me he would be more than happy to push us back into the alley. My response was that it was a little late now. On taxi out we were able to explain to msp ground why we were not able to comply with his instructions. Msp ground advised us there was no problem and appreciated our explanation. Our chief pilot's office has been notified so I expect some action against the tug driver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TUG DRIVER TOWS ACFT TO THE WRONG LOCATION IN VIOLATION OF GND CTLR CLRNC.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING PUSHBACK CLRNC FROM GND, WHO ALSO WANTED US TO PUSH BACK DEEP IN THE VALLEY, I ADVISED OUR PUSHBACK DRIVER IN ACCORDANCE WITH SOPS THAT WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH DEEP INTO THE ALLEY. THE TUG DRIVER ADVISED ME THAT HE COULDN'T SEE ANY REASON TO DO THAT AND THAT THERE WERE NO INBOUND ACFT THAT HE COULD SEE. I INFORMED HIM THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHY BUT THAT HE WANTED US TO PUSH DEEP INTO THE ALLEY. I ALSO SAID WE WOULD ASK GND IF THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT WE WERE HOLDING FOR. MSP GND CTL WAS EXTREMELY BUSY SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ASK AND IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE. THE TUG DRIVER THEN PROCEEDED TO PULL THE ACFT FORWARD INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING MY DIRECTION TO PUSH BACK DEEP IN THE ALLEY. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT HE DIDN'T SEE ANY REASON TO DO THIS AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO PULL US FORWARD. I THEN TOLD MY FO TO CALL GND AND TELL THEM WE WERE BEING TOWED TO THE FRONT PART OF THE ALLEY. ONCE AGAIN GND WAS EXTREMELY BUSY SO WE WERE UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH MSP GND CTL. I ALSO ATTEMPTED AGAIN TO TRY TO PERSUADE THE TUG DRIVER TO PUSH US DEEP IN THE ALLEY, HE IGNORED MY REQUEST. ONCE WE WERE IN THE FRONT PART OF THE ALLEY, MSP GND CTL INFORMED US THAT HE WANTED US TO PUSH DEEP IN THE ALLEY FOR THE COMPANY ACFT THAT WAS NOW APCHING OFF OUR L AND THAT WE SHOULD AT LEAST MOVE TO THE R TO ALLOW HIM TO GET BY. ONCE AGAIN WE TRIED TO NO AVAIL TO COMMUNICATE WITH MSP GND DUE TO CONGESTION ON THE FREQ. WHEN WE WERE STOPPED, I AGAIN RELAYED MY DISPLEASURE TO THE TUG DRIVER, AND TOLD HIM THAT WE COULD BE VIOLATED FOR NOT FOLLOWING ND CTL'S DIRECTION. HE THEN TOLD ME HE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PUSH US BACK INTO THE ALLEY. MY RESPONSE WAS THAT IT WAS A LITTLE LATE NOW. ON TAXI OUT WE WERE ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO MSP GND WHY WE WERE NOT ABLE TO COMPLY WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS. MSP GND ADVISED US THERE WAS NO PROB AND APPRECIATED OUR EXPLANATION. OUR CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE HAS BEEN NOTIFIED SO I EXPECT SOME ACTION AGAINST THE TUG DRIVER.

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.