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B767-300 crew calls for taxi with tug still attached.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 690290 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200603 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : eddm.airport |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767-300 and 300 ER |
| 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 : 220 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 7000 |
| ASRS Report | 690290 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllerb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Our pushback started with the push crew contacting us with their checks complete. We obtained push clearance from eddm apron and started back. We received clearance to start engines towards the end of our push and began the start process. Brakes set; tow bar disconnect; cleared to disconnect. All happened before the engines were started and were SOP. The first officer and I observed the tractor and tow bar backing away. We saw the tractor driver wave to us; and although not exactly a SOP release; sometimes you get a wave instead of a salute. I flashed my taxi light and said I have a salute and a release; and called for taxi. Eddm apron responded to our request for taxi with something we could not understand. We asked to repeat the clearance and we understood him to say someone was still hooked up to the front of our airplane. I went back to flight interphones and the push crew was still there. I cleared him to disconnect and received a release from him also. During the confusion; the brakes were set and the engines at idle so nothing moved; but I shudder to think at what could have happened. I asked the other crew members if they heard me say; 'cleared to disconnect.' they both say they head me say that. I do question whether I said it; or maybe the headset was intermittent -- I don't know. I know that the push crew did not respond to the disconnect; but sometimes with the engines blaring that does not happen either; especially at some of the international stations; they just disconnect and walk away for the salute. What I do know is that the push crew did not hear 'cleared to disconnect.' maybe I didn't say it or the headset cut out. I then saw the tractor back away and someone waved and I incorrectly perceived that as the salute and release and I focused my attention at trying to digest the clearance we were about to get from eddm apron. Although I do not blame the push crew; I know he stood there a long time and I wish he would have said something to me; or maybe he did but the headset was cutting out.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B767-300 CREW CALLS FOR TAXI WITH TUG STILL ATTACHED.
Narrative: OUR PUSHBACK STARTED WITH THE PUSH CREW CONTACTING US WITH THEIR CHKS COMPLETE. WE OBTAINED PUSH CLRNC FROM EDDM APRON AND STARTED BACK. WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO START ENGS TOWARDS THE END OF OUR PUSH AND BEGAN THE START PROCESS. BRAKES SET; TOW BAR DISCONNECT; CLRED TO DISCONNECT. ALL HAPPENED BEFORE THE ENGS WERE STARTED AND WERE SOP. THE FO AND I OBSERVED THE TRACTOR AND TOW BAR BACKING AWAY. WE SAW THE TRACTOR DRIVER WAVE TO US; AND ALTHOUGH NOT EXACTLY A SOP RELEASE; SOMETIMES YOU GET A WAVE INSTEAD OF A SALUTE. I FLASHED MY TAXI LIGHT AND SAID I HAVE A SALUTE AND A RELEASE; AND CALLED FOR TAXI. EDDM APRON RESPONDED TO OUR REQUEST FOR TAXI WITH SOMETHING WE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND. WE ASKED TO REPEAT THE CLRNC AND WE UNDERSTOOD HIM TO SAY SOMEONE WAS STILL HOOKED UP TO THE FRONT OF OUR AIRPLANE. I WENT BACK TO FLT INTERPHONES AND THE PUSH CREW WAS STILL THERE. I CLRED HIM TO DISCONNECT AND RECEIVED A RELEASE FROM HIM ALSO. DURING THE CONFUSION; THE BRAKES WERE SET AND THE ENGS AT IDLE SO NOTHING MOVED; BUT I SHUDDER TO THINK AT WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I ASKED THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS IF THEY HEARD ME SAY; 'CLRED TO DISCONNECT.' THEY BOTH SAY THEY HEAD ME SAY THAT. I DO QUESTION WHETHER I SAID IT; OR MAYBE THE HEADSET WAS INTERMITTENT -- I DON'T KNOW. I KNOW THAT THE PUSH CREW DID NOT RESPOND TO THE DISCONNECT; BUT SOMETIMES WITH THE ENGS BLARING THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN EITHER; ESPECIALLY AT SOME OF THE INTL STATIONS; THEY JUST DISCONNECT AND WALK AWAY FOR THE SALUTE. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THE PUSH CREW DID NOT HEAR 'CLRED TO DISCONNECT.' MAYBE I DIDN'T SAY IT OR THE HEADSET CUT OUT. I THEN SAW THE TRACTOR BACK AWAY AND SOMEONE WAVED AND I INCORRECTLY PERCEIVED THAT AS THE SALUTE AND RELEASE AND I FOCUSED MY ATTN AT TRYING TO DIGEST THE CLRNC WE WERE ABOUT TO GET FROM EDDM APRON. ALTHOUGH I DO NOT BLAME THE PUSH CREW; I KNOW HE STOOD THERE A LONG TIME AND I WISH HE WOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING TO ME; OR MAYBE HE DID BUT THE HEADSET WAS CUTTING OUT.
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.