Narrative:

Steering bypass pin left in for pwrback. When directed to make a turn during pwrback from gate xx, the nosewheel steering would not turn. I stopped the aircraft and pulled slightly forward. The nose of the aircraft was approximately 30 ft from the guideman. Before I could flash the nose taxi light, the guideman ran to the nose of the aircraft, removed the nulling pin from the steering bypass valve and showed it to me. I then spoke to him by interphone to verbally confirm what happened. He said someone must have thought we were to be pushed back and installed the pin. Atl does a mixture of pushbacks and pwrbacks for the B727. I have been told by a ramp supervisor that the type of departure depends upon equipment and manpower availability, but that they would try to do a pushback when able. A tug and a B727 tow bar were both positioned in their painted parking position at gate xx for this departure. Manpower to connect the tow bar was certainly available as 2 fleet service personnel remained in the aircraft talking to a flight attendant until boarding began. Also, the flag on the pin removed by the guideman appeared to have most of the orange/red color missing. Perhaps a bright orange flag would have been noticed by the guideman before the pwrback began. I strongly suggest that atl begin exclusively pushing back aircraft. Not only would that prevent incidents such as this, but it would also enhance the safety of the atl departure. At atl, we power back onto east side of the ramp. In fact, the pwrback clearance for this departure included instructions to keep the turn tight due to traffic on the parallel. This is less than ideal for a pwrback and it is probably only a matter of time before a more serious incident occurs. We have a prohibition against pwrback when there is movement on an adjacent gate. Shouldn't we be just as concerned about a pwrback in close proximity to another aircraft away from the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-200 CREW WAS GIVEN PWRBACK CLRNC WITH THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING BYPASS PIN STILL INSTALLED.

Narrative: STEERING BYPASS PIN LEFT IN FOR PWRBACK. WHEN DIRECTED TO MAKE A TURN DURING PWRBACK FROM GATE XX, THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WOULD NOT TURN. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND PULLED SLIGHTLY FORWARD. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS APPROX 30 FT FROM THE GUIDEMAN. BEFORE I COULD FLASH THE NOSE TAXI LIGHT, THE GUIDEMAN RAN TO THE NOSE OF THE ACFT, REMOVED THE NULLING PIN FROM THE STEERING BYPASS VALVE AND SHOWED IT TO ME. I THEN SPOKE TO HIM BY INTERPHONE TO VERBALLY CONFIRM WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID SOMEONE MUST HAVE THOUGHT WE WERE TO BE PUSHED BACK AND INSTALLED THE PIN. ATL DOES A MIXTURE OF PUSHBACKS AND PWRBACKS FOR THE B727. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A RAMP SUPVR THAT THE TYPE OF DEP DEPENDS UPON EQUIP AND MANPOWER AVAILABILITY, BUT THAT THEY WOULD TRY TO DO A PUSHBACK WHEN ABLE. A TUG AND A B727 TOW BAR WERE BOTH POSITIONED IN THEIR PAINTED PARKING POS AT GATE XX FOR THIS DEP. MANPOWER TO CONNECT THE TOW BAR WAS CERTAINLY AVAILABLE AS 2 FLEET SVC PERSONNEL REMAINED IN THE ACFT TALKING TO A FLT ATTENDANT UNTIL BOARDING BEGAN. ALSO, THE FLAG ON THE PIN REMOVED BY THE GUIDEMAN APPEARED TO HAVE MOST OF THE ORANGE/RED COLOR MISSING. PERHAPS A BRIGHT ORANGE FLAG WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTICED BY THE GUIDEMAN BEFORE THE PWRBACK BEGAN. I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT ATL BEGIN EXCLUSIVELY PUSHING BACK ACFT. NOT ONLY WOULD THAT PREVENT INCIDENTS SUCH AS THIS, BUT IT WOULD ALSO ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF THE ATL DEP. AT ATL, WE PWR BACK ONTO E SIDE OF THE RAMP. IN FACT, THE PWRBACK CLRNC FOR THIS DEP INCLUDED INSTRUCTIONS TO KEEP THE TURN TIGHT DUE TO TFC ON THE PARALLEL. THIS IS LESS THAN IDEAL FOR A PWRBACK AND IT IS PROBABLY ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A MORE SERIOUS INCIDENT OCCURS. WE HAVE A PROHIBITION AGAINST PWRBACK WHEN THERE IS MOVEMENT ON AN ADJACENT GATE. SHOULDN'T WE BE JUST AS CONCERNED ABOUT A PWRBACK IN CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER ACFT AWAY FROM THE GATE.

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.