Flight crew pushes back from gate without proper clearance.

Attributes
ACN	544763
Time
Date	200204
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	544763
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Received intercom call from tug push crew that the baggage loaders were closing our last cargo door. I asked my first officer to get us a clearance to push. I continued talking to push crew and did not monitor first officer's call. When push crew stated they were ready to push, I asked first officer 'are we cleared to push?' first officer stated 'yes cleared to push.' during pushback, ground control advises we had pushback without his clearance. We asked if he wanted us to stop the push. Ground control stated that won't be necessary, but we should have called him prior to pushback. Proper procedure for pushback gate xa at lga is to call ramp control first then ground control. Questioning first officer, it was determined he had called ramp control only and was told 'cleared to push, contact ground.' he assumed this meant cleared to push off gate then call ground control when ready to taxi.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC PUSHES BACK FROM GATE WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC.

Narrative: RECEIVED INTERCOM CALL FROM TUG PUSH CREW THAT THE BAGGAGE LOADERS WERE CLOSING OUR LAST CARGO DOOR. I ASKED MY FO TO GET US A CLRNC TO PUSH. I CONTINUED TALKING TO PUSH CREW AND DID NOT MONITOR FO'S CALL. WHEN PUSH CREW STATED THEY WERE READY TO PUSH, I ASKED FO 'ARE WE CLRED TO PUSH?' FO STATED 'YES CLRED TO PUSH.' DURING PUSHBACK, GND CTL ADVISES WE HAD PUSHBACK WITHOUT HIS CLRNC. WE ASKED IF HE WANTED US TO STOP THE PUSH. GND CTL STATED THAT WON'T BE NECESSARY, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE CALLED HIM PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. PROPER PROC FOR PUSHBACK GATE XA AT LGA IS TO CALL RAMP CTL FIRST THEN GND CTL. QUESTIONING FO, IT WAS DETERMINED HE HAD CALLED RAMP CTL ONLY AND WAS TOLD 'CLRED TO PUSH, CONTACT GND.' HE ASSUMED THIS MEANT CLRED TO PUSH OFF GATE THEN CALL GND CTL WHEN READY TO TAXI.

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.