A320 pilot reports non standard phraseology by pushback crew.

Attributes
ACN	678023
Time
Date	200511
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 13200 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	678023
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Nonstandard pushback. Pushback crew checked in on headset interphone. Captain replied 'before pushback checklist complete.' no initial response from tug driver. 20 seconds later; captain asked 'may I release the brakes?' response was 'release brakes; I will hold your push.' captain's response was 'brakes released; hold push.' got clearance to push. While still moving backwards; the tug driver said 'set brakes.' captain waited for complete stop; then set brakes with the response 'brakes set; pressure normal.' then we got clearance to start engines after push complete. The tug driver then said 'watch for your salute.' captain said 'pardon me; say again please.' tug driver responded 'watch for your salute!' the captain responded to tug driver 'your commands have been all wrong; you should review the written script for pushing back aircraft.' the tug driver said 'that's the way I was taught. Sorry I'm not perfect!' then the tug driver immediately disconnected headset without captain's approval. He was angry that captain had said that he was non SOP compliant.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 PLT RPTS NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY BY PUSHBACK CREW.

Narrative: NONSTANDARD PUSHBACK. PUSHBACK CREW CHKED IN ON HEADSET INTERPHONE. CAPT REPLIED 'BEFORE PUSHBACK CHKLIST COMPLETE.' NO INITIAL RESPONSE FROM TUG DRIVER. 20 SECONDS LATER; CAPT ASKED 'MAY I RELEASE THE BRAKES?' RESPONSE WAS 'RELEASE BRAKES; I WILL HOLD YOUR PUSH.' CAPT'S RESPONSE WAS 'BRAKES RELEASED; HOLD PUSH.' GOT CLRNC TO PUSH. WHILE STILL MOVING BACKWARDS; THE TUG DRIVER SAID 'SET BRAKES.' CAPT WAITED FOR COMPLETE STOP; THEN SET BRAKES WITH THE RESPONSE 'BRAKES SET; PRESSURE NORMAL.' THEN WE GOT CLRNC TO START ENGS AFTER PUSH COMPLETE. THE TUG DRIVER THEN SAID 'WATCH FOR YOUR SALUTE.' CAPT SAID 'PARDON ME; SAY AGAIN PLEASE.' TUG DRIVER RESPONDED 'WATCH FOR YOUR SALUTE!' THE CAPT RESPONDED TO TUG DRIVER 'YOUR COMMANDS HAVE BEEN ALL WRONG; YOU SHOULD REVIEW THE WRITTEN SCRIPT FOR PUSHING BACK ACFT.' THE TUG DRIVER SAID 'THAT'S THE WAY I WAS TAUGHT. SORRY I'M NOT PERFECT!' THEN THE TUG DRIVER IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED HEADSET WITHOUT CAPT'S APPROVAL. HE WAS ANGRY THAT CAPT HAD SAID THAT HE WAS NON SOP COMPLIANT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.