MD80 tug driver left tug during pushback without notifying the flight crew.

Attributes
ACN	690918
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
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
ASRS Report	690918
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

We were waiting for an air carrier aircraft to pull in to the adjacent gate. We were cleared to push back when the aircraft was clear. We had received walkaround complete and had released the brakes to the tug driver with instructions to push when air carrier was clear. We received a call from ramp tower that our push clearance was canceled until we got a tug driver. The tug driver had apparently left the tug without telling us and went to the aircraft. I could not see him over the nose of our aircraft and did not know that he had left the tug. The parking brakes on the aircraft were released during this time. A supervisor then came on the head set as the new tug driver and apologized for the incident and an uneventful push was conducted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 TUG DRIVER LEFT TUG DURING PUSHBACK WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE FLT CREW.

Narrative: WE WERE WAITING FOR AN ACR ACFT TO PULL IN TO THE ADJACENT GATE. WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH BACK WHEN THE ACFT WAS CLR. WE HAD RECEIVED WALKAROUND COMPLETE AND HAD RELEASED THE BRAKES TO THE TUG DRIVER WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO PUSH WHEN ACR WAS CLR. WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM RAMP TWR THAT OUR PUSH CLRNC WAS CANCELED UNTIL WE GOT A TUG DRIVER. THE TUG DRIVER HAD APPARENTLY LEFT THE TUG WITHOUT TELLING US AND WENT TO THE ACFT. I COULD NOT SEE HIM OVER THE NOSE OF OUR ACFT AND DID NOT KNOW THAT HE HAD LEFT THE TUG. THE PARKING BRAKES ON THE ACFT WERE RELEASED DURING THIS TIME. A SUPVR THEN CAME ON THE HEAD SET AS THE NEW TUG DRIVER AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCIDENT AND AN UNEVENTFUL PUSH WAS CONDUCTED.

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.