Narrative:

Our company recently changed pushback procedures which previously allowed the pushback crew to return to the gate once the pushback was complete. The new procedure requires the push crew to remain attached to the aircraft by headphone till instructed by the captain to return to the gate. On jan/wed/97 the second engine had just stabilized when the weight and balance came over the ACARS. I immediately began to load the FMS to free myself for a relatively short congested taxi to the runway. I started feeding the FMS when the captain called for the after start checklist which we performed and I called and received taxi clearance from ramp control. The captain had added power and began a right turn when the cockpit call bell rang and I switched the audio panel to talk to the flight attendants. Suddenly the captain made an abrupt stop which caused me for the first time in many mins to look out the window and see that the pushback tug and crew were still in front of the aircraft since the captain had not cleared them back to the gate. When power was added the mechanic on the ground had run up to the fuselage and unplugged the headset and rung the cockpit call bell. The cause of the problem was the captain's unfamiliarity with the new procedure along with my desire to get the feeding of the FMS out of the way as soon as possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ACFT. OPERATING UNDER NEW COMPANY PROC, AFTER PUSHBACK AND ENGS STARTED, RPTR FO DISTRACTED INSERTING WT AND BAL INTO FMS. CAPT CALLED FOR AFTER START CHKLIST AND COMMENCED TAXIING WHILE THE GND PERSONNEL WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE ACFT. GND PERSONNEL QUICKLY DISCONNECTED HEADSET, RANG WARNING BELL TO COCKPIT AND CAPT STOPPED ACFT.

Narrative: OUR COMPANY RECENTLY CHANGED PUSHBACK PROCS WHICH PREVIOUSLY ALLOWED THE PUSHBACK CREW TO RETURN TO THE GATE ONCE THE PUSHBACK WAS COMPLETE. THE NEW PROC REQUIRES THE PUSH CREW TO REMAIN ATTACHED TO THE ACFT BY HEADPHONE TILL INSTRUCTED BY THE CAPT TO RETURN TO THE GATE. ON JAN/WED/97 THE SECOND ENG HAD JUST STABILIZED WHEN THE WT AND BAL CAME OVER THE ACARS. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO LOAD THE FMS TO FREE MYSELF FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT CONGESTED TAXI TO THE RWY. I STARTED FEEDING THE FMS WHEN THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE AFTER START CHKLIST WHICH WE PERFORMED AND I CALLED AND RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC FROM RAMP CTL. THE CAPT HAD ADDED PWR AND BEGAN A R TURN WHEN THE COCKPIT CALL BELL RANG AND I SWITCHED THE AUDIO PANEL TO TALK TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. SUDDENLY THE CAPT MADE AN ABRUPT STOP WHICH CAUSED ME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY MINS TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND SEE THAT THE PUSHBACK TUG AND CREW WERE STILL IN FRONT OF THE ACFT SINCE THE CAPT HAD NOT CLRED THEM BACK TO THE GATE. WHEN PWR WAS ADDED THE MECH ON THE GND HAD RUN UP TO THE FUSELAGE AND UNPLUGGED THE HEADSET AND RUNG THE COCKPIT CALL BELL. THE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS THE CAPT'S UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE NEW PROC ALONG WITH MY DESIRE TO GET THE FEEDING OF THE FMS OUT OF THE WAY ASAP.

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.