First officer for a major airline concerned about unsafe ramp operations at boston.

Attributes
ACN	504018
Time
Date	200103
Day	Mon
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	504018
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Airport Company
Primary Problem	Airport
Situations
Airport	construction : bos.airport groundskeeping : bos.airport

Narrative:

In sum: the reporter recently read an article in an aviation publication regarding ASRS and the type of events which are rptable: ramp operations was one of them. Reporter is employed by an airline. Apparently, the terminal vicinity where he parks has been under construction for at least a yr. The ramp is shared by various subsidiary carriers, flying a variety of aircraft. The parking spaces, depending on aircraft type/location, are cluttered with belt loaders, gpu's, carts, tugs, ladders and trucks. The ramp also serves as a bus shuttle for passenger to and from the terminal. The reporter's main concerns are centered around the unsafe movement of vehicle traffic across the ramp and the practice of having crews 'power back' their aircraft for departure. A standard pushback would be safer given the ramp congestion. Although supervisory personnel have been advised of these practices, little has been done.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE CONCERNED ABOUT UNSAFE RAMP OPS AT BOSTON.

Narrative: IN SUM: THE RPTR RECENTLY READ AN ARTICLE IN AN AVIATION PUB REGARDING ASRS AND THE TYPE OF EVENTS WHICH ARE RPTABLE: RAMP OPS WAS ONE OF THEM. RPTR IS EMPLOYED BY AN AIRLINE. APPARENTLY, THE TERMINAL VICINITY WHERE HE PARKS HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR AT LEAST A YR. THE RAMP IS SHARED BY VARIOUS SUBSIDIARY CARRIERS, FLYING A VARIETY OF ACFT. THE PARKING SPACES, DEPENDING ON ACFT TYPE/LOCATION, ARE CLUTTERED WITH BELT LOADERS, GPU'S, CARTS, TUGS, LADDERS AND TRUCKS. THE RAMP ALSO SERVES AS A BUS SHUTTLE FOR PAX TO AND FROM THE TERMINAL. THE RPTR'S MAIN CONCERNS ARE CTRED AROUND THE UNSAFE MOVEMENT OF VEHICLE TFC ACROSS THE RAMP AND THE PRACTICE OF HAVING CREWS 'PWR BACK' THEIR ACFT FOR DEP. A STANDARD PUSHBACK WOULD BE SAFER GIVEN THE RAMP CONGESTION. ALTHOUGH SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THESE PRACTICES, LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE.

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.