Narrative:

In monitoring oak ground frequency during my last 2 departures, I find that every flight which calls for push on ground frequency is told to 'push at your discretion.' the trouble comes with air carrier Y aggressive ground operations. We've all seen them taxi -- you should watch them push! On one occasion my crew had to bring the aircraft to an abrupt halt because of an air carrier Y aircraft pushing back in front of us. The new (experienced) ground supervisor informed me that this is a routine problem. His opinion was that sooner or later there will be a tail shoved through the side of an airplane out there. That is almost a direct quote. In addition, when we get ground clearance to tow from the hardstand to our gate, they are routinely blocked by air carrier Y aircraft pushing at their discretion. This entails either oak ground controllers ignoring a cleared to tow aircraft and allowing air carrier Y to push, or air carrier Y crews doing so. Perhaps air carrier Y ground supervisors should be politely informed about safety and good manners in aircraft operation. If that doesn't work, perhaps the FAA should be asked to take full control of the txwys before an accident occurs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG HAD TO BRING ACFT TO AN ABRUPT STOP DUE TO ANOTHER COMPANY PUSHBACK RIGHT ACROSS THE FRONT OF THEIR ACFT WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE. RPTR COMPLAINS THAT THE TWR CTLR DOES NOT MONITOR PUSHBACKS, BUT INSTRUCTS THE FLC TO PUSH BACK AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION.

Narrative: IN MONITORING OAK GND FREQ DURING MY LAST 2 DEPS, I FIND THAT EVERY FLT WHICH CALLS FOR PUSH ON GND FREQ IS TOLD TO 'PUSH AT YOUR DISCRETION.' THE TROUBLE COMES WITH ACR Y AGGRESSIVE GND OPS. WE'VE ALL SEEN THEM TAXI -- YOU SHOULD WATCH THEM PUSH! ON ONE OCCASION MY CREW HAD TO BRING THE ACFT TO AN ABRUPT HALT BECAUSE OF AN ACR Y ACFT PUSHING BACK IN FRONT OF US. THE NEW (EXPERIENCED) GND SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A ROUTINE PROB. HIS OPINION WAS THAT SOONER OR LATER THERE WILL BE A TAIL SHOVED THROUGH THE SIDE OF AN AIRPLANE OUT THERE. THAT IS ALMOST A DIRECT QUOTE. IN ADDITION, WHEN WE GET GND CLRNC TO TOW FROM THE HARDSTAND TO OUR GATE, THEY ARE ROUTINELY BLOCKED BY ACR Y ACFT PUSHING AT THEIR DISCRETION. THIS ENTAILS EITHER OAK GND CTLRS IGNORING A CLRED TO TOW ACFT AND ALLOWING ACR Y TO PUSH, OR ACR Y CREWS DOING SO. PERHAPS ACR Y GND SUPVRS SHOULD BE POLITELY INFORMED ABOUT SAFETY AND GOOD MANNERS IN ACFT OP. IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, PERHAPS THE FAA SHOULD BE ASKED TO TAKE FULL CTL OF THE TXWYS BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OCCURS.

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.