F-100 ground crew would not push an aircraft from the gate with the engines running because of a sli...

Attributes
ACN	540192
Time
Date	200203
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	540192
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Weather
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Improperly equipped ground crew. The push crew did a great job in refusing to push us back from gate. For safety reasons, they felt the ramp was too slippery to push with our engines running. (Gate requires engines to be started prior to push.) the way it was finally resolved is apparently ramp got a waiver from ground so that we could push back onto taxiway and then start. I know the problem is well known because we had the same problem the day before on the same flight. That time however the crew decided they could push with the engines running without compromising safety. Also ramp control stated it has been a problem at that gate for the past few days. Maybe air carrier should either change the engine start requirement or the ground crew should be provided with sand for the ramp.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: F-100 GND CREW WOULD NOT PUSH AN ACFT FROM THE GATE WITH THE ENGS RUNNING BECAUSE OF A SLIPPERY RAMP.

Narrative: IMPROPERLY EQUIPPED GND CREW. THE PUSH CREW DID A GREAT JOB IN REFUSING TO PUSH US BACK FROM GATE. FOR SAFETY REASONS, THEY FELT THE RAMP WAS TOO SLIPPERY TO PUSH WITH OUR ENGS RUNNING. (GATE REQUIRES ENGS TO BE STARTED PRIOR TO PUSH.) THE WAY IT WAS FINALLY RESOLVED IS APPARENTLY RAMP GOT A WAIVER FROM GND SO THAT WE COULD PUSH BACK ONTO TXWY AND THEN START. I KNOW THE PROB IS WELL KNOWN BECAUSE WE HAD THE SAME PROB THE DAY BEFORE ON THE SAME FLT. THAT TIME HOWEVER THE CREW DECIDED THEY COULD PUSH WITH THE ENGS RUNNING WITHOUT COMPROMISING SAFETY. ALSO RAMP CTL STATED IT HAS BEEN A PROB AT THAT GATE FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS. MAYBE ACR SHOULD EITHER CHANGE THE ENG START REQUIREMENT OR THE GND CREW SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH SAND FOR THE RAMP.

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.

F-100 ground crew would not push an aircraft from the gate with the engines running because of a slippery ramp.