Narrative:

While taxiing into the ramp area at logan; stopped on the taxi line parallel to the terminal and waited for the ramp personnel to come out to park our aircraft. The ramp folks were busy with other aircraft perpendicular to ours on another gate at the ramp. There was a flurry of communication between operations and the other aircraft regarding a broken headset which the captain opted to push without. As the rampers were positioning for their pushback; the right wing walker remained close to the front of the pushing aircraft. As the push started; the tug driver accelerated rapidly in spite of the right wing walker signaling him to stop the push as he noticed our aircraft behind the pushing aircraft. I applied an excessive amount of thrust (within engine parameters) to quickly move my aircraft from the path of the pushing aircraft which was basically on a runaway path as the tug driver was still not acknowledging the fact that his wing walker was telling him to stop. I safely moved my aircraft from harm without incident on board. Upon discussing the issue with the ramp supervisor; I found him unable to grasp the significance of the fact that the tug driver did not respond to the wing walker's input (a problem I have had several times in boston on pushbacks with hand signals; as folks there just don't seem to understand standard hand signals). As I did not feel that the gravity of the situation was grasped; I walked upstairs in ramp and spoke to a gentleman in the ramp manager's office who made more excuses for the incident than I care to admit to including accusing me of not being 'on the line' and pulling in too far. He failed to grasp the gravity of the situation that his ramp personnel did not understand or respond to standard hand signals from one of their peers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB135 CAPT ON THE RAMP AT BOS TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID COLLISION WITH QUICK MOVING ACFT PUSHING BACK.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING INTO THE RAMP AREA AT LOGAN; STOPPED ON THE TAXI LINE PARALLEL TO THE TERMINAL AND WAITED FOR THE RAMP PERSONNEL TO COME OUT TO PARK OUR ACFT. THE RAMP FOLKS WERE BUSY WITH OTHER ACFT PERPENDICULAR TO OURS ON ANOTHER GATE AT THE RAMP. THERE WAS A FLURRY OF COM BTWN OPS AND THE OTHER ACFT REGARDING A BROKEN HEADSET WHICH THE CAPT OPTED TO PUSH WITHOUT. AS THE RAMPERS WERE POSITIONING FOR THEIR PUSHBACK; THE R WING WALKER REMAINED CLOSE TO THE FRONT OF THE PUSHING ACFT. AS THE PUSH STARTED; THE TUG DRIVER ACCELERATED RAPIDLY IN SPITE OF THE R WING WALKER SIGNALING HIM TO STOP THE PUSH AS HE NOTICED OUR ACFT BEHIND THE PUSHING ACFT. I APPLIED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF THRUST (WITHIN ENG PARAMETERS) TO QUICKLY MOVE MY ACFT FROM THE PATH OF THE PUSHING ACFT WHICH WAS BASICALLY ON A RUNAWAY PATH AS THE TUG DRIVER WAS STILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE FACT THAT HIS WING WALKER WAS TELLING HIM TO STOP. I SAFELY MOVED MY ACFT FROM HARM WITHOUT INCIDENT ON BOARD. UPON DISCUSSING THE ISSUE WITH THE RAMP SUPVR; I FOUND HIM UNABLE TO GRASP THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FACT THAT THE TUG DRIVER DID NOT RESPOND TO THE WING WALKER'S INPUT (A PROB I HAVE HAD SEVERAL TIMES IN BOSTON ON PUSHBACKS WITH HAND SIGNALS; AS FOLKS THERE JUST DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND STANDARD HAND SIGNALS). AS I DID NOT FEEL THAT THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION WAS GRASPED; I WALKED UPSTAIRS IN RAMP AND SPOKE TO A GENTLEMAN IN THE RAMP MGR'S OFFICE WHO MADE MORE EXCUSES FOR THE INCIDENT THAN I CARE TO ADMIT TO INCLUDING ACCUSING ME OF NOT BEING 'ON THE LINE' AND PULLING IN TOO FAR. HE FAILED TO GRASP THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION THAT HIS RAMP PERSONNEL DID NOT UNDERSTAND OR RESPOND TO STANDARD HAND SIGNALS FROM ONE OF THEIR PEERS.

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.