A320 captain does not consider the gate at ord big enough for safe operation.

Attributes
ACN	561017
Time
Date	200209
Day	Tue
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
Controlling Facilities	tower : mke.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
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	561017
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

After being pushed back from the gate at ord in an A320, I asked the mechanic if this was as far as I was going to be pushed back, as it was obvious that there was not enough room to maneuver on taxi out. He replied, 'yes, you are on the line.' I tried to taxi out with minimum power and without going into a parking area for ground equipment. This was impossible. The A320 will not turn tight enough without using high thrust, potentially killing ramp personnel. Also, it is impossible to taxi out of there without going into the ground equipment storage area, potentially damaging ground equipment and the aircraft. In the 12 yrs I have been a pilot for air carrier X, I have never seen a more unsafe operation anywhere in the world! This procedure is a nonstandard pushback into the constrained space that is available. There is not adequate room to maneuver the airbus out of this gate and it is a very unsafe operation. In fact, there have been ground personnel injured due to airbuses trying to get out of this gate. This pushback procedure at this gate is the most constrained that I have seen anywhere in the world and I think that it should be re-evaluated. Personally, I think there shouldn't be anything larger than at B737 at this gate in ord.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPT DOES NOT CONSIDER THE GATE AT ORD BIG ENOUGH FOR SAFE OP.

Narrative: AFTER BEING PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE AT ORD IN AN A320, I ASKED THE MECH IF THIS WAS AS FAR AS I WAS GOING TO BE PUSHED BACK, AS IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO MANEUVER ON TAXI OUT. HE REPLIED, 'YES, YOU ARE ON THE LINE.' I TRIED TO TAXI OUT WITH MINIMUM PWR AND WITHOUT GOING INTO A PARKING AREA FOR GND EQUIP. THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE. THE A320 WILL NOT TURN TIGHT ENOUGH WITHOUT USING HIGH THRUST, POTENTIALLY KILLING RAMP PERSONNEL. ALSO, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TAXI OUT OF THERE WITHOUT GOING INTO THE GND EQUIP STORAGE AREA, POTENTIALLY DAMAGING GND EQUIP AND THE ACFT. IN THE 12 YRS I HAVE BEEN A PLT FOR ACR X, I HAVE NEVER SEEN A MORE UNSAFE OP ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! THIS PROC IS A NONSTANDARD PUSHBACK INTO THE CONSTRAINED SPACE THAT IS AVAILABLE. THERE IS NOT ADEQUATE ROOM TO MANEUVER THE AIRBUS OUT OF THIS GATE AND IT IS A VERY UNSAFE OP. IN FACT, THERE HAVE BEEN GND PERSONNEL INJURED DUE TO AIRBUSES TRYING TO GET OUT OF THIS GATE. THIS PUSHBACK PROC AT THIS GATE IS THE MOST CONSTRAINED THAT I HAVE SEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE RE-EVALUATED. PERSONALLY, I THINK THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANYTHING LARGER THAN AT B737 AT THIS GATE IN ORD.

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.