Narrative:

Spot X is one of the few parking spots requiring both ramp tower and mem ground to grant a pushback clearance. Called for the push, was told to hold push by ramp tower. 10 seconds later, was cleared to push by ramp tower 'tail west.' they will also, in all cases, give the crew a 'heads up' to contact ground -- not on this occasion. Acknowledged the pushback clearance twice, having been stepped on by another aircraft. Crew was distraction by a nonstandard start procedure with an inoperative gauge on the #3 engine. 2 mins after pushback, ramp asked us to contact ground, who gave us a stern warning about entering a taxiway without clearance. Contributing factor was the first officer had just been called in at XA00 with a 1 hour report time. Reserve policy is a 1 hour show 24 hours a day, many consecutive days. As first officer, I was extremely fatigued and failed to provide the proper assistance to the captain who was involved with the tug crew. Supplemental information from acn 417056: 2 mins later, ramp tower asked us if we had contacted ground control (mem) prior to pushing back onto taxiway V. We said 'no.' we should have remembered on our own that this gate pushed back onto an active taxiway and that we needed ground control clearance as well as ramp tower clearance. However, since most (almost all) gates require only ramp tower clearance, our habit patterns worked against us in this instance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB FREIGHTER PUSHES BACK INTO TXWY V AT MEM WITHOUT CONTACTING THE MEM GND CTLR FOR CLRNC.

Narrative: SPOT X IS ONE OF THE FEW PARKING SPOTS REQUIRING BOTH RAMP TWR AND MEM GND TO GRANT A PUSHBACK CLRNC. CALLED FOR THE PUSH, WAS TOLD TO HOLD PUSH BY RAMP TWR. 10 SECONDS LATER, WAS CLRED TO PUSH BY RAMP TWR 'TAIL WEST.' THEY WILL ALSO, IN ALL CASES, GIVE THE CREW A 'HEADS UP' TO CONTACT GND -- NOT ON THIS OCCASION. ACKNOWLEDGED THE PUSHBACK CLRNC TWICE, HAVING BEEN STEPPED ON BY ANOTHER ACFT. CREW WAS DISTR BY A NONSTANDARD START PROC WITH AN INOP GAUGE ON THE #3 ENG. 2 MINS AFTER PUSHBACK, RAMP ASKED US TO CONTACT GND, WHO GAVE US A STERN WARNING ABOUT ENTERING A TXWY WITHOUT CLRNC. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE FO HAD JUST BEEN CALLED IN AT XA00 WITH A 1 HR RPT TIME. RESERVE POLICY IS A 1 HR SHOW 24 HRS A DAY, MANY CONSECUTIVE DAYS. AS FO, I WAS EXTREMELY FATIGUED AND FAILED TO PROVIDE THE PROPER ASSISTANCE TO THE CAPT WHO WAS INVOLVED WITH THE TUG CREW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 417056: 2 MINS LATER, RAMP TWR ASKED US IF WE HAD CONTACTED GND CTL (MEM) PRIOR TO PUSHING BACK ONTO TXWY V. WE SAID 'NO.' WE SHOULD HAVE REMEMBERED ON OUR OWN THAT THIS GATE PUSHED BACK ONTO AN ACTIVE TXWY AND THAT WE NEEDED GND CTL CLRNC AS WELL AS RAMP TWR CLRNC. HOWEVER, SINCE MOST (ALMOST ALL) GATES REQUIRE ONLY RAMP TWR CLRNC, OUR HABIT PATTERNS WORKED AGAINST US IN THIS INSTANCE.

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.