Narrative:

Pwred back from gate. Pwrback was briefed as a left turn by guideman, ramp cleared a left turning pwrback. Going back, we cleared the hump and started to accelerate. I reduced power to minimum to control speed for the turn. Guideman commanded the turn. I may have missed it for a second or two as I was reducing power. I started the turn tail left at my normal rate when guideman very emphatically motioned for more turn. I greatly increased the tiller deflection and the aircraft dug in the turn and whipped the nose around very quickly. I could not brake, so I went to forward power and neutralized the tiller. 2 flight attendants were thrown off their feet but were uninjured. I question the following: gate is in front of the fuel/deicing pits and there is minimum room to maneuver. Pwrback tail south is a greater than 90 degree turn requiring almost full tiller deflection. The pwrback is downhill causing increasing speed with no brakes available to control speed. I question whether we should be doing a pwrback on this gate. I admit I did not realize the closeness of the pits until I started the pwrback turn. I feel I should have just discontinued the pwrback rather than increase the tiller deflection more than usual. The guideman should have commanded forward thrust rather than command an increased turn. The first officer became uncomfortable about the time I did, but didn't know what to say. After we discussed it, I really didn't know what to say either except, discontinue the pwrback. I really did not anticipate this, but I've never seen it before either. There were no injuries nor damage, only a rough ride for my passenger. Supplemental information from acn 514706: to make it simple, it really should be a pushback gate only, or, just power back north not south.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLC'S TEMPORARY LOSS OF ACFT CTL CREATES A LEVEL OF DISCOMFORT FOR THEMSELVES, THEIR PAX AND THE CABIN ATTENDANTS IN THE COMPANY SPONSORED PWRBACK OP OUT OF A GATE AT ZZZ, US.

Narrative: PWRED BACK FROM GATE. PWRBACK WAS BRIEFED AS A L TURN BY GUIDEMAN, RAMP CLRED A L TURNING PWRBACK. GOING BACK, WE CLRED THE HUMP AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE. I REDUCED PWR TO MINIMUM TO CTL SPD FOR THE TURN. GUIDEMAN COMMANDED THE TURN. I MAY HAVE MISSED IT FOR A SECOND OR TWO AS I WAS REDUCING PWR. I STARTED THE TURN TAIL L AT MY NORMAL RATE WHEN GUIDEMAN VERY EMPHATICALLY MOTIONED FOR MORE TURN. I GREATLY INCREASED THE TILLER DEFLECTION AND THE ACFT DUG IN THE TURN AND WHIPPED THE NOSE AROUND VERY QUICKLY. I COULD NOT BRAKE, SO I WENT TO FORWARD PWR AND NEUTRALIZED THE TILLER. 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE THROWN OFF THEIR FEET BUT WERE UNINJURED. I QUESTION THE FOLLOWING: GATE IS IN FRONT OF THE FUEL/DEICING PITS AND THERE IS MINIMUM ROOM TO MANEUVER. PWRBACK TAIL S IS A GREATER THAN 90 DEG TURN REQUIRING ALMOST FULL TILLER DEFLECTION. THE PWRBACK IS DOWNHILL CAUSING INCREASING SPD WITH NO BRAKES AVAILABLE TO CTL SPD. I QUESTION WHETHER WE SHOULD BE DOING A PWRBACK ON THIS GATE. I ADMIT I DID NOT REALIZE THE CLOSENESS OF THE PITS UNTIL I STARTED THE PWRBACK TURN. I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE JUST DISCONTINUED THE PWRBACK RATHER THAN INCREASE THE TILLER DEFLECTION MORE THAN USUAL. THE GUIDEMAN SHOULD HAVE COMMANDED FORWARD THRUST RATHER THAN COMMAND AN INCREASED TURN. THE FO BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT THE TIME I DID, BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. AFTER WE DISCUSSED IT, I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY EITHER EXCEPT, DISCONTINUE THE PWRBACK. I REALLY DID NOT ANTICIPATE THIS, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE EITHER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES NOR DAMAGE, ONLY A ROUGH RIDE FOR MY PAX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 514706: TO MAKE IT SIMPLE, IT REALLY SHOULD BE A PUSHBACK GATE ONLY, OR, JUST PWR BACK N NOT S.

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.