Narrative:

Pushback from gate xb at lax. When ready for pushback, I called ramp tower on 131.45 and requested clearance to push. Ramp stated we were 'cleared to push onto taxiway C.' the captain then relayed this to the tug driver and he began to push us back. The tug driver pushed us about 40 ft then stopped suddenly. About the same time, we heard an air carrier X aircraft commenting on an air carrier Y aircraft nearly pushing back into them. We then contacted ground and were instructed to pull back forward. We never actually came close to hitting the other aircraft, but the potential was obvious. I then read the rest of the green departure page (10-0D) in my commercial chart and found the additional gates, including xb, that stated 'contact ramp tower prior to push and they will instruct you when to contact ground.' I had only seen the first statement on that page that said 'contact ramp tower for pushback.' the factors that I believe led to this incident: my missing second statement on 10-0D page. Crew's lack of familiarity with lax. Improper push clearance statement issued by ramp tower. No set location in commercial chart pages to find pushback instructions and poor organization of green pages in all of commercial charts. The 4TH area is where I feel the problem can best be solved. We used to have a pushback page for all airports and we used to have a 'white ramp page' with a pushback procedure section. These have both been removed and now we must search through numerous green pages that are all written different and list push procedures in at least 3 places (departure, general, ramp). Also, poorly trained wing walkers not checking taxiway clear before start of push.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B767-200 ORDERED GND CREW TO PUSH BACK ACFT FROM THE GATE WHEN THEY HAD NOT OBTAINED CLRNC FROM GND CTL CAUSING TWR INTERVENTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO MOVE FORWARD TO ALLOW PASSING OF ANOTHER ACR ACFT TAXIING THROUGH. RPTR ADMITS THAT HE DID NOT FULLY READ THE PUSHBACK INSTRUCTIONS WHICH CLRLY STATES TO CONTACT GND PRIOR TO PUSH BACK.

Narrative: PUSHBACK FROM GATE XB AT LAX. WHEN READY FOR PUSHBACK, I CALLED RAMP TWR ON 131.45 AND REQUESTED CLRNC TO PUSH. RAMP STATED WE WERE 'CLRED TO PUSH ONTO TXWY C.' THE CAPT THEN RELAYED THIS TO THE TUG DRIVER AND HE BEGAN TO PUSH US BACK. THE TUG DRIVER PUSHED US ABOUT 40 FT THEN STOPPED SUDDENLY. ABOUT THE SAME TIME, WE HEARD AN ACR X ACFT COMMENTING ON AN ACR Y ACFT NEARLY PUSHING BACK INTO THEM. WE THEN CONTACTED GND AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO PULL BACK FORWARD. WE NEVER ACTUALLY CAME CLOSE TO HITTING THE OTHER ACFT, BUT THE POTENTIAL WAS OBVIOUS. I THEN READ THE REST OF THE GREEN DEP PAGE (10-0D) IN MY COMMERCIAL CHART AND FOUND THE ADDITIONAL GATES, INCLUDING XB, THAT STATED 'CONTACT RAMP TWR PRIOR TO PUSH AND THEY WILL INSTRUCT YOU WHEN TO CONTACT GND.' I HAD ONLY SEEN THE FIRST STATEMENT ON THAT PAGE THAT SAID 'CONTACT RAMP TWR FOR PUSHBACK.' THE FACTORS THAT I BELIEVE LED TO THIS INCIDENT: MY MISSING SECOND STATEMENT ON 10-0D PAGE. CREW'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH LAX. IMPROPER PUSH CLRNC STATEMENT ISSUED BY RAMP TWR. NO SET LOCATION IN COMMERCIAL CHART PAGES TO FIND PUSHBACK INSTRUCTIONS AND POOR ORGANIZATION OF GREEN PAGES IN ALL OF COMMERCIAL CHARTS. THE 4TH AREA IS WHERE I FEEL THE PROB CAN BEST BE SOLVED. WE USED TO HAVE A PUSHBACK PAGE FOR ALL ARPTS AND WE USED TO HAVE A 'WHITE RAMP PAGE' WITH A PUSHBACK PROC SECTION. THESE HAVE BOTH BEEN REMOVED AND NOW WE MUST SEARCH THROUGH NUMEROUS GREEN PAGES THAT ARE ALL WRITTEN DIFFERENT AND LIST PUSH PROCS IN AT LEAST 3 PLACES (DEP, GENERAL, RAMP). ALSO, POORLY TRAINED WING WALKERS NOT CHKING TXWY CLR BEFORE START OF PUSH.

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.