Narrative:

Parked at bos gate ab. Called on 121.65 per pre departure clearance and requested pushback clearance. Heard 'clear to push, contact ground.' I took this to mean contact ground before entering taxiway a, since the commercial publication 'green page' for bos has a caution: 'do not enter taxiway a without clearance from ground control.' the tug driver pushed us backwards towards taxiway a and did not get clearance from the cockpit crew to push back onto taxiway a. Just as I realized the tug might encroach taxiway a, I told him to stop. At the same time, ground control (121.9) told us to stop and got upset. I told the captain to tell the tug driver to go 'forwards' (relative to the airplane). The tug driver went 'forwards' relative to himself and we may have encroached taxiway a. I got him to stop again and then pull the airplane into the alley, turn us around, and pull us, airplane nose first, towards taxiway a, as ground control expected. The tug driver said he 'thought they wanted us to push onto taxiway as long as we didn't block taxiway C...I wish they would make up their mind.' in any case, the cockpit crew never told the tug he was cleared to push onto taxiway a and the driver never asked us nor instructed us as to what he was about to do. Cockpit crew reaction to the situation was slowed due to fatigue from an 'all nighter' the previous night and intermittent rest during the day at a noisy airport hotel. Supplemental information from acn 414230: I would like to make the following observations: 1) tug drivers should know where they can and cannot push aircraft because they do this time after time from the same gates, whereas we as a flight crew may only be at the airport and gate 'once in a blue moon.' 2) there are too many different 'agencies' and frequencys involved in pushbacks: clearance delivery, ramp tower, different ground control frequencys, etc. This invites error and confusion!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 WAS PUSHED BACK ONTO AN ACTIVE TXWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: PARKED AT BOS GATE AB. CALLED ON 121.65 PER PDC AND REQUESTED PUSHBACK CLRNC. HEARD 'CLR TO PUSH, CONTACT GND.' I TOOK THIS TO MEAN CONTACT GND BEFORE ENTERING TXWY A, SINCE THE COMMERCIAL PUB 'GREEN PAGE' FOR BOS HAS A CAUTION: 'DO NOT ENTER TXWY A WITHOUT CLRNC FROM GND CTL.' THE TUG DRIVER PUSHED US BACKWARDS TOWARDS TXWY A AND DID NOT GET CLRNC FROM THE COCKPIT CREW TO PUSH BACK ONTO TXWY A. JUST AS I REALIZED THE TUG MIGHT ENCROACH TXWY A, I TOLD HIM TO STOP. AT THE SAME TIME, GND CTL (121.9) TOLD US TO STOP AND GOT UPSET. I TOLD THE CAPT TO TELL THE TUG DRIVER TO GO 'FORWARDS' (RELATIVE TO THE AIRPLANE). THE TUG DRIVER WENT 'FORWARDS' RELATIVE TO HIMSELF AND WE MAY HAVE ENCROACHED TXWY A. I GOT HIM TO STOP AGAIN AND THEN PULL THE AIRPLANE INTO THE ALLEY, TURN US AROUND, AND PULL US, AIRPLANE NOSE FIRST, TOWARDS TXWY A, AS GND CTL EXPECTED. THE TUG DRIVER SAID HE 'THOUGHT THEY WANTED US TO PUSH ONTO TXWY AS LONG AS WE DIDN'T BLOCK TXWY C...I WISH THEY WOULD MAKE UP THEIR MIND.' IN ANY CASE, THE COCKPIT CREW NEVER TOLD THE TUG HE WAS CLRED TO PUSH ONTO TXWY A AND THE DRIVER NEVER ASKED US NOR INSTRUCTED US AS TO WHAT HE WAS ABOUT TO DO. COCKPIT CREW REACTION TO THE SIT WAS SLOWED DUE TO FATIGUE FROM AN 'ALL NIGHTER' THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND INTERMITTENT REST DURING THE DAY AT A NOISY ARPT HOTEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 414230: I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS: 1) TUG DRIVERS SHOULD KNOW WHERE THEY CAN AND CANNOT PUSH ACFT BECAUSE THEY DO THIS TIME AFTER TIME FROM THE SAME GATES, WHEREAS WE AS A FLC MAY ONLY BE AT THE ARPT AND GATE 'ONCE IN A BLUE MOON.' 2) THERE ARE TOO MANY DIFFERENT 'AGENCIES' AND FREQS INVOLVED IN PUSHBACKS: CLRNC DELIVERY, RAMP TWR, DIFFERENT GND CTL FREQS, ETC. THIS INVITES ERROR AND CONFUSION!

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.