Narrative:

We called ground for clearance to push. Ground said 'cleared to push, hold short of taxiway north.' I relayed this information to the captain who relayed it to the push crew. The push crew responded with 'roger' and began to push the aircraft back. After a moment, sju ground called me again and repeated the instructions to hold short of taxiway north. I relayed this to the captain who again relayed this to the push crew. The push crew again responded 'roger' while the push was continuing. As neither of us could see behind the aircraft or judge how close taxiway north was, we could only trust that the push crew knew and understood what they were doing -- especially since they responded positively with 'roger' to our verbal instructions. I believe the captain made one more request to the push crew to hold short of taxiway north, when sju ground called me to stop the push. I immediately relayed this to the apt who relayed this to the push crew. The push crew hesitated in responding, but stopped. Sju ground informed us they were going to write up the incident, as it was a repeat problem. They implied they were referring to the push crew. We inquired if we needed to write up something. They implied they were not concerned with the flight crew, but the push crew, so the captain told them he would write a report to the company. Sju ground said that should be fine and the captain and I felt that was it. Supplemental information from acn 504031: I told the push crew to hold short of taxiway north. We were moving when sju ground told us to stop. That call caused me to think that our push crew either did not know where taxiway north was or they were pretty close to it. After stopping, I looked over my left shoulder and observed a commuter/cpr type aircraft pass behind us sbound on taxiway north. I do not believe we had been pushed onto taxiway north because we were still perpendicular to taxiway north. I could see aft toward the taxiway and an aircraft was able to pass safely behind us. I cannot say whether the push crew would have pushed us onto taxiway north if sju ground had not called for us to stop.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SJU GND CTLR CONCERNED WITH B757 COMPANY GND CREW KNOWLEDGE OF PUSHBACK RAMP PROCS.

Narrative: WE CALLED GND FOR CLRNC TO PUSH. GND SAID 'CLRED TO PUSH, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY N.' I RELAYED THIS INFO TO THE CAPT WHO RELAYED IT TO THE PUSH CREW. THE PUSH CREW RESPONDED WITH 'ROGER' AND BEGAN TO PUSH THE ACFT BACK. AFTER A MOMENT, SJU GND CALLED ME AGAIN AND REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY N. I RELAYED THIS TO THE CAPT WHO AGAIN RELAYED THIS TO THE PUSH CREW. THE PUSH CREW AGAIN RESPONDED 'ROGER' WHILE THE PUSH WAS CONTINUING. AS NEITHER OF US COULD SEE BEHIND THE ACFT OR JUDGE HOW CLOSE TXWY N WAS, WE COULD ONLY TRUST THAT THE PUSH CREW KNEW AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY WERE DOING -- ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY RESPONDED POSITIVELY WITH 'ROGER' TO OUR VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS. I BELIEVE THE CAPT MADE ONE MORE REQUEST TO THE PUSH CREW TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY N, WHEN SJU GND CALLED ME TO STOP THE PUSH. I IMMEDIATELY RELAYED THIS TO THE APT WHO RELAYED THIS TO THE PUSH CREW. THE PUSH CREW HESITATED IN RESPONDING, BUT STOPPED. SJU GND INFORMED US THEY WERE GOING TO WRITE UP THE INCIDENT, AS IT WAS A REPEAT PROB. THEY IMPLIED THEY WERE REFERRING TO THE PUSH CREW. WE INQUIRED IF WE NEEDED TO WRITE UP SOMETHING. THEY IMPLIED THEY WERE NOT CONCERNED WITH THE FLC, BUT THE PUSH CREW, SO THE CAPT TOLD THEM HE WOULD WRITE A RPT TO THE COMPANY. SJU GND SAID THAT SHOULD BE FINE AND THE CAPT AND I FELT THAT WAS IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 504031: I TOLD THE PUSH CREW TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY N. WE WERE MOVING WHEN SJU GND TOLD US TO STOP. THAT CALL CAUSED ME TO THINK THAT OUR PUSH CREW EITHER DID NOT KNOW WHERE TXWY N WAS OR THEY WERE PRETTY CLOSE TO IT. AFTER STOPPING, I LOOKED OVER MY L SHOULDER AND OBSERVED A COMMUTER/CPR TYPE ACFT PASS BEHIND US SBOUND ON TXWY N. I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAD BEEN PUSHED ONTO TXWY N BECAUSE WE WERE STILL PERPENDICULAR TO TXWY N. I COULD SEE AFT TOWARD THE TXWY AND AN ACFT WAS ABLE TO PASS SAFELY BEHIND US. I CANNOT SAY WHETHER THE PUSH CREW WOULD HAVE PUSHED US ONTO TXWY N IF SJU GND HAD NOT CALLED FOR US TO STOP.

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.