Narrative:

The event occurred on the ground at bwi. Setting: aircraft parked at gate, aircraft landing on runway 33L, taxiway P. Closed between txwys east and F. Events: flight ready to push on time. A lot of chatter on ground frequency due to numerous pushbacks and taxi instructions. I toggled down ground to better understand the pushback crew on 'flight' frequency. We were told to hold the push due to a bizjet behind us. The pushback crew and the first officer had the traffic. The first officer then said we were clear to push. We began the push and started #1 first. 1/2 way through the start of #2, ground told the first officer to stop the push and pull forward to allow a B767 to taxi past. I completed the start and had the towbar disconnected. There was not enough room for the B767 with a company aircraft behind it and another company aircraft slowing to make taxiway F and keep runway 33L open. The pushback left my nose pointing between 2 gates with 2 belt loaders parked between the gates. I had the pushback crew member move the second belt loader. I put the generators on the bus and 'a' hydraulics on and taxied forward between the gates. All aircraft taxied by without problems. I ran the entire before takeoff checklist, taxied and departed bwi. Factors: part of the call sign was blocked when we thought we were cleared to push. Follow-up: I called bwi tower to speak with ground control. I explained the situation. She was happy with the explanation and said no further action was required. Future: in the future, I will back up the first officer on ground for pushback. If the pushback crew is hard to understand, I will use hand signals. Supplemental information from acn 592218: during pushback, ground control advised 'hold push' for traffic. The pushback tug operator, approximately at same time, said he saw traffic behind us and stopped the push. A small bizjet passed us and at the same time ground control advised a company aircraft to push. The transmission was partially blocked. There was also considerable usage of ground control at this time. My incorrect assumption that the pushback clearance was for us turned out to be for another gate. When I saw the bizjet go by, the tug driver said he saw the traffic and the company push call from ground partially blocked. I assumed it must have been for us. We were on time if not pushing 1 min early so 'rushing' was no factor. As we continued the push (approximately 7/8 the normal push length), ground advised us to stop because we were blocking other aircraft trying to taxi. Ground said 'pull back towards the gate.' the tug/ground operator already unhooked the gut towbar, so we did the 'after start check' and motored forward basically between gates parallel to taxiway. We then saw a B757 and 2 company B737's taxi by. I advised ground I was sorry for the confusion on my part. We performed the checklist and called for taxi. To prevent a recurrence of this and all sits when it comes to communications, don't assume anything and clarification must be done with ATC if any doubt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SOME CONFUSION ON PUSHBACK BY A B737 CREW AT BWI DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION AND SIMILAR SOUNDING GATE LOCATIONS.

Narrative: THE EVENT OCCURRED ON THE GND AT BWI. SETTING: ACFT PARKED AT GATE, ACFT LNDG ON RWY 33L, TXWY P. CLOSED BTWN TXWYS E AND F. EVENTS: FLT READY TO PUSH ON TIME. A LOT OF CHATTER ON GND FREQ DUE TO NUMEROUS PUSHBACKS AND TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I TOGGLED DOWN GND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PUSHBACK CREW ON 'FLT' FREQ. WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD THE PUSH DUE TO A BIZJET BEHIND US. THE PUSHBACK CREW AND THE FO HAD THE TFC. THE FO THEN SAID WE WERE CLR TO PUSH. WE BEGAN THE PUSH AND STARTED #1 FIRST. 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE START OF #2, GND TOLD THE FO TO STOP THE PUSH AND PULL FORWARD TO ALLOW A B767 TO TAXI PAST. I COMPLETED THE START AND HAD THE TOWBAR DISCONNECTED. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR THE B767 WITH A COMPANY ACFT BEHIND IT AND ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT SLOWING TO MAKE TXWY F AND KEEP RWY 33L OPEN. THE PUSHBACK LEFT MY NOSE POINTING BTWN 2 GATES WITH 2 BELT LOADERS PARKED BTWN THE GATES. I HAD THE PUSHBACK CREW MEMBER MOVE THE SECOND BELT LOADER. I PUT THE GENERATORS ON THE BUS AND 'A' HYDS ON AND TAXIED FORWARD BTWN THE GATES. ALL ACFT TAXIED BY WITHOUT PROBS. I RAN THE ENTIRE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, TAXIED AND DEPARTED BWI. FACTORS: PART OF THE CALL SIGN WAS BLOCKED WHEN WE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH. FOLLOW-UP: I CALLED BWI TWR TO SPEAK WITH GND CTL. I EXPLAINED THE SIT. SHE WAS HAPPY WITH THE EXPLANATION AND SAID NO FURTHER ACTION WAS REQUIRED. FUTURE: IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BACK UP THE FO ON GND FOR PUSHBACK. IF THE PUSHBACK CREW IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND, I WILL USE HAND SIGNALS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 592218: DURING PUSHBACK, GND CTL ADVISED 'HOLD PUSH' FOR TFC. THE PUSHBACK TUG OPERATOR, APPROX AT SAME TIME, SAID HE SAW TFC BEHIND US AND STOPPED THE PUSH. A SMALL BIZJET PASSED US AND AT THE SAME TIME GND CTL ADVISED A COMPANY ACFT TO PUSH. THE XMISSION WAS PARTIALLY BLOCKED. THERE WAS ALSO CONSIDERABLE USAGE OF GND CTL AT THIS TIME. MY INCORRECT ASSUMPTION THAT THE PUSHBACK CLRNC WAS FOR US TURNED OUT TO BE FOR ANOTHER GATE. WHEN I SAW THE BIZJET GO BY, THE TUG DRIVER SAID HE SAW THE TFC AND THE COMPANY PUSH CALL FROM GND PARTIALLY BLOCKED. I ASSUMED IT MUST HAVE BEEN FOR US. WE WERE ON TIME IF NOT PUSHING 1 MIN EARLY SO 'RUSHING' WAS NO FACTOR. AS WE CONTINUED THE PUSH (APPROX 7/8 THE NORMAL PUSH LENGTH), GND ADVISED US TO STOP BECAUSE WE WERE BLOCKING OTHER ACFT TRYING TO TAXI. GND SAID 'PULL BACK TOWARDS THE GATE.' THE TUG/GND OPERATOR ALREADY UNHOOKED THE GUT TOWBAR, SO WE DID THE 'AFTER START CHK' AND MOTORED FORWARD BASICALLY BTWN GATES PARALLEL TO TXWY. WE THEN SAW A B757 AND 2 COMPANY B737'S TAXI BY. I ADVISED GND I WAS SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION ON MY PART. WE PERFORMED THE CHKLIST AND CALLED FOR TAXI. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THIS AND ALL SITS WHEN IT COMES TO COMS, DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING AND CLARIFICATION MUST BE DONE WITH ATC IF ANY DOUBT.

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.