Narrative:

The event occurred at the sna airport during pushback phase of taxiing. Initially, I read our commercial pages that apply to this airport and did not see the required ATC call to ground which was buried on the second page near the bottom of this lengthy document. Normally, such a note is found on the first page of commercial notes/procedures. The note to call ground ATC was later found on a commercial page that primarily addresses noise, taxi, takeoff and departure procedures for runway 19R. Since we used runway 1L for departure, I did not associate the note was for both runways 1L and 19R and was missed. This commercial page needs to be rewritten and clearly define each runway's procedures. Further contributing to the misunderstanding was our maintenance tug operator who was communicating in a poorly spoken english. When asked if we were going to remain on the company ramp during pushback, he gave a series of answers that indicated we would. The tug operator had difficulty speaking and understanding, he did not use clear, concise proper phraseology as required during pushback. Once the aircraft started pushback, ATC advised us to return to the gate since we did not have authority/authorized to push. The tug operator had difficulty understanding 'stop the aircraft' and it took several xmissions to get him to understand return to the gate. The captain spoke with ground control, apologized for the pushback and our error in thinking we were allowed to push on the ramp and coordination with our tug operator had occurred. Upon return to the gate, proper authority/authorized was obtained to push back from our company gate and taxi to the runway for departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN AIRBUS A300-600 PUSHBACK FROM GATE WITHOUT COORD CTL CLRNC. FAILED TO SEE INSTRUCTIONS ON COMMERCIAL ARPT DIAGRAM DATA PAGE DURING PREFLT. ATCT GND CTLR INTERVENED AND SENT THEM BACK TO GATE.

Narrative: THE EVENT OCCURRED AT THE SNA ARPT DURING PUSHBACK PHASE OF TAXIING. INITIALLY, I READ OUR COMMERCIAL PAGES THAT APPLY TO THIS ARPT AND DID NOT SEE THE REQUIRED ATC CALL TO GND WHICH WAS BURIED ON THE SECOND PAGE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THIS LENGTHY DOCUMENT. NORMALLY, SUCH A NOTE IS FOUND ON THE FIRST PAGE OF COMMERCIAL NOTES/PROCS. THE NOTE TO CALL GND ATC WAS LATER FOUND ON A COMMERCIAL PAGE THAT PRIMARILY ADDRESSES NOISE, TAXI, TKOF AND DEP PROCS FOR RWY 19R. SINCE WE USED RWY 1L FOR DEP, I DID NOT ASSOCIATE THE NOTE WAS FOR BOTH RWYS 1L AND 19R AND WAS MISSED. THIS COMMERCIAL PAGE NEEDS TO BE REWRITTEN AND CLRLY DEFINE EACH RWY'S PROCS. FURTHER CONTRIBUTING TO THE MISUNDERSTANDING WAS OUR MAINT TUG OPERATOR WHO WAS COMMUNICATING IN A POORLY SPOKEN ENGLISH. WHEN ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO REMAIN ON THE COMPANY RAMP DURING PUSHBACK, HE GAVE A SERIES OF ANSWERS THAT INDICATED WE WOULD. THE TUG OPERATOR HAD DIFFICULTY SPEAKING AND UNDERSTANDING, HE DID NOT USE CLR, CONCISE PROPER PHRASEOLOGY AS REQUIRED DURING PUSHBACK. ONCE THE ACFT STARTED PUSHBACK, ATC ADVISED US TO RETURN TO THE GATE SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE AUTH TO PUSH. THE TUG OPERATOR HAD DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING 'STOP THE ACFT' AND IT TOOK SEVERAL XMISSIONS TO GET HIM TO UNDERSTAND RETURN TO THE GATE. THE CAPT SPOKE WITH GND CTL, APOLOGIZED FOR THE PUSHBACK AND OUR ERROR IN THINKING WE WERE ALLOWED TO PUSH ON THE RAMP AND COORD WITH OUR TUG OPERATOR HAD OCCURRED. UPON RETURN TO THE GATE, PROPER AUTH WAS OBTAINED TO PUSH BACK FROM OUR COMPANY GATE AND TAXI TO THE RWY FOR DEP.

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.