Pilot of carj reports pushback ground personnel are regularly ignoring SOP for pushback procedures.

Attributes
ACN	631484
Time
Date	200409
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg.airport
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet 700 ER&LR
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	631484
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Cvg ramp worker performed pushback, deviating from company procedures. Background information, flight originally had mechanical and a plane change and was running late. Doors closed, checklist performed, ramp was contacted to push back. Thumbs up signal was exchanged followed by me giving pushback signal. Signal was returned but push not initiated. Less than a min later, a tug driver gets off tug and walks away without any communications. This happens too frequently. I reset the parking brake since I have no idea if his tug is engaged, chocked, etc. After delay to locate a wing walker, tug driver returns and without any attempt at communicating, begins to push back our aircraft. Sensing this was about to happen, I released the parking brake before he began to push. This is only one example of many encountered on every trip of non-standard and potentially dangerous practice on the ramp pushbacks. Headsets are part of the solution, along with training and enforcement.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF CARJ RPTS PUSHBACK GND PERSONNEL ARE REGULARLY IGNORING SOP FOR PUSHBACK PROCS.

Narrative: CVG RAMP WORKER PERFORMED PUSHBACK, DEVIATING FROM COMPANY PROCS. BACKGROUND INFO, FLT ORIGINALLY HAD MECHANICAL AND A PLANE CHANGE AND WAS RUNNING LATE. DOORS CLOSED, CHKLIST PERFORMED, RAMP WAS CONTACTED TO PUSH BACK. THUMBS UP SIGNAL WAS EXCHANGED FOLLOWED BY ME GIVING PUSHBACK SIGNAL. SIGNAL WAS RETURNED BUT PUSH NOT INITIATED. LESS THAN A MIN LATER, A TUG DRIVER GETS OFF TUG AND WALKS AWAY WITHOUT ANY COMS. THIS HAPPENS TOO FREQUENTLY. I RESET THE PARKING BRAKE SINCE I HAVE NO IDEA IF HIS TUG IS ENGAGED, CHOCKED, ETC. AFTER DELAY TO LOCATE A WING WALKER, TUG DRIVER RETURNS AND WITHOUT ANY ATTEMPT AT COMMUNICATING, BEGINS TO PUSH BACK OUR ACFT. SENSING THIS WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN, I RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE BEFORE HE BEGAN TO PUSH. THIS IS ONLY ONE EXAMPLE OF MANY ENCOUNTERED ON EVERY TRIP OF NON-STANDARD AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PRACTICE ON THE RAMP PUSHBACKS. HEADSETS ARE PART OF THE SOLUTION, ALONG WITH TRAINING AND ENFORCEMENT.

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.