Pushback ground crew fail to understand takeoff runway instructions from flight crew and break the a...

Narrative:

During pushback while starting the left engine; the ground person asked me a question which I interpreted as to which direction and/or runway we were using. He was very hard to hear because of the backgnd noise from the engine. I stated that we were using runway 10R then repeated 'runway 10R.' because we were on an outside gate facing runway 10R where there were multiple takeoffs being conducted while we pushed; I thought that this should be obvious to the pushback crew; or that they would have an idea of where to push the airplane. We had been cleared to push back onto the active taxiway. While monitoring the engine start; the first officer and I noticed the nose of the aircraft starting to turn east; the wrong direction for the taxi to runway 10R. I stated clearly to the crew that the tail of the aircraft needs to point east for a wbound taxi to runway 10R. Then again repeated that they were pointing the aircraft the wrong direction. The aircraft stopped; there seemed to be some confusion; then the plane started to rotate around the opposite direction. Next thing I knew the first officer stated the tug was 90 degrees to the nose of the aircraft and there seemed to be a problem. Then we heard a loud crack. The ground person asked me to set the brakes and then a mechanic was called. The tug driver had broken the tow pin assembly on the nose gear strut and the tow pin was no longer completely attached to the tow pin assembly. We taxied in to the gate on the left engine; the mechanics removed the assembly and we were pushed out with a super tug. I spoke with the pushback crew supervisor who told me that the crews are not briefed on unusual runway configns and they have no knowledge of flight operations as pertaining to the name of a runway. They also have no training or experience on turning the aircraft in the situation we were in or knowledge of the limits to which they can turn the nose gear strut on pushback without breaking it. We were fully loaded (244 passenger) and took a 1 hour 3 min delay.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PUSHBACK GND CREW FAIL TO UNDERSTAND TKOF RWY INSTRUCTIONS FROM FLT CREW AND BREAK THE ACFT TOW PIN ASSEMBLY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE DIRECTIONS.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK WHILE STARTING THE L ENG; THE GND PERSON ASKED ME A QUESTION WHICH I INTERPED AS TO WHICH DIRECTION AND/OR RWY WE WERE USING. HE WAS VERY HARD TO HEAR BECAUSE OF THE BACKGND NOISE FROM THE ENG. I STATED THAT WE WERE USING RWY 10R THEN REPEATED 'RWY 10R.' BECAUSE WE WERE ON AN OUTSIDE GATE FACING RWY 10R WHERE THERE WERE MULTIPLE TKOFS BEING CONDUCTED WHILE WE PUSHED; I THOUGHT THAT THIS SHOULD BE OBVIOUS TO THE PUSHBACK CREW; OR THAT THEY WOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE TO PUSH THE AIRPLANE. WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO PUSH BACK ONTO THE ACTIVE TXWY. WHILE MONITORING THE ENG START; THE FO AND I NOTICED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT STARTING TO TURN E; THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR THE TAXI TO RWY 10R. I STATED CLRLY TO THE CREW THAT THE TAIL OF THE ACFT NEEDS TO POINT E FOR A WBOUND TAXI TO RWY 10R. THEN AGAIN REPEATED THAT THEY WERE POINTING THE ACFT THE WRONG DIRECTION. THE ACFT STOPPED; THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME CONFUSION; THEN THE PLANE STARTED TO ROTATE AROUND THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. NEXT THING I KNEW THE FO STATED THE TUG WAS 90 DEGS TO THE NOSE OF THE ACFT AND THERE SEEMED TO BE A PROB. THEN WE HEARD A LOUD CRACK. THE GND PERSON ASKED ME TO SET THE BRAKES AND THEN A MECH WAS CALLED. THE TUG DRIVER HAD BROKEN THE TOW PIN ASSEMBLY ON THE NOSE GEAR STRUT AND THE TOW PIN WAS NO LONGER COMPLETELY ATTACHED TO THE TOW PIN ASSEMBLY. WE TAXIED IN TO THE GATE ON THE L ENG; THE MECHS REMOVED THE ASSEMBLY AND WE WERE PUSHED OUT WITH A SUPER TUG. I SPOKE WITH THE PUSHBACK CREW SUPVR WHO TOLD ME THAT THE CREWS ARE NOT BRIEFED ON UNUSUAL RWY CONFIGNS AND THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF FLT OPS AS PERTAINING TO THE NAME OF A RWY. THEY ALSO HAVE NO TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE ON TURNING THE ACFT IN THE SITUATION WE WERE IN OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE LIMITS TO WHICH THEY CAN TURN THE NOSE GEAR STRUT ON PUSHBACK WITHOUT BREAKING IT. WE WERE FULLY LOADED (244 PAX) AND TOOK A 1 HR 3 MIN DELAY.

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.

Attributes
ACN	692907
Time
Date	200604
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain
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 : 150 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	692907
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Company
Primary Problem	Company

Pushback ground crew fail to understand takeoff runway instructions from flight crew and break the aircraft tow pin assembly while attempting to reverse directions.