B737 crew pushes back without clearance at cun.

Attributes
ACN	427710
Time
Date	199902
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cun
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 16006 flight time type : 270
ASRS Report	427710
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

Our 10-7 commercial chart does not say anything about a pushback clearance being required, although it does say to request flight clearance 10 mins prior to pushback. The first officer asked if we get ATC clearance on the taxi out, and I said I thought that was right, but I failed to check the 10-7 page. When push time came, I asked the first officer to give a courtesy call to ground (unpublished 121.7) which he tried 3 times with no answer. So I gave orders to push, we pushed and started, and released the push crew. Called ground for taxi clearance, still no answer, so we switched to tower and immediately were scolded for pushing without a clearance. We explained we'd tried and the tower operator said ground was closed until XX00 am, we should have called on tower and our carrier had done this before, and she was going to report to the civil auths. I apologized and we departed. Recommendations: 10- 7 should be clrer when tower is the only operational frequency and the importance of pushback clearance there.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW PUSHES BACK WITHOUT CLRNC AT CUN.

Narrative: OUR 10-7 COMMERCIAL CHART DOES NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT A PUSHBACK CLRNC BEING REQUIRED, ALTHOUGH IT DOES SAY TO REQUEST FLT CLRNC 10 MINS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. THE FO ASKED IF WE GET ATC CLRNC ON THE TAXI OUT, AND I SAID I THOUGHT THAT WAS RIGHT, BUT I FAILED TO CHK THE 10-7 PAGE. WHEN PUSH TIME CAME, I ASKED THE FO TO GIVE A COURTESY CALL TO GND (UNPUBLISHED 121.7) WHICH HE TRIED 3 TIMES WITH NO ANSWER. SO I GAVE ORDERS TO PUSH, WE PUSHED AND STARTED, AND RELEASED THE PUSH CREW. CALLED GND FOR TAXI CLRNC, STILL NO ANSWER, SO WE SWITCHED TO TWR AND IMMEDIATELY WERE SCOLDED FOR PUSHING WITHOUT A CLRNC. WE EXPLAINED WE'D TRIED AND THE TWR OPERATOR SAID GND WAS CLOSED UNTIL XX00 AM, WE SHOULD HAVE CALLED ON TWR AND OUR CARRIER HAD DONE THIS BEFORE, AND SHE WAS GOING TO RPT TO THE CIVIL AUTHS. I APOLOGIZED AND WE DEPARTED. RECOMMENDATIONS: 10- 7 SHOULD BE CLRER WHEN TWR IS THE ONLY OPERATIONAL FREQ AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PUSHBACK CLRNC THERE.

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.