Narrative:

We were about to commence our pushback from gate. I made the initial communications with the pushback tug driver via intercom. I specifically asked him if we needed to delay our engine start. I had recently been pushed off a gate in the bwi alleyway where the tug driver did a push-pull. Apparently the push-pull is sometimes used because of the construction project in the back alleyway. The tug driver said that he did not need to do a push-pull; and he said we were cleared to start both engines. The tug driver began to push us as we were starting engine #2. As I was about to start engine #1; the tug driver began to pull us forward. I immediately asked him to stop the pull. He ignored my command. He continued to pull us forward. I again asked him to stop the pull; and attempted to convince him that pulling the aircraft with an engine running was prohibited. He exclaimed that it was alright to pull the aircraft just a little bit. I finally convinced him to slowly bring the aircraft to a stop; so we would not overrun the tug and the tow bar. I did not want to damage the tow bar; tug; and aircraft or injure personnel by aggressively applying the brakes. On fom the warning says: 'if the aircraft moves forward anytime during pushback; stop the aircraft; set the brakes; and determine the cause with the pushback driver.' I did not slam on the brakes to stop the jet; but rather talked the pushback driver into stopping his pull as I applied the brakes. No harm was done to the tug; jet; or personnel. There were several problems: 1) I had anticipated the situation; and I had a verbal contract with the tug driver that a push-pull would not be required. He gave us clearance to start both engines. The tug driver broke that verbal contract and broke the rules when he decided to conduct the pull with the #2 engine running. 2) even after I commanded the tug driver to stop; he did not follow my command. 3) even after I explained to the tug driver that the pull with an engine running was a prohibited maneuver; he told me that it was ok to pull the aircraft just a little bit. Recommended solutions: 1) retrain the bwi tug driver. Advise him of the rule that an aircraft cannot be pulled once an engine is running; period! He seemed to have no knowledge of this rule. 2) advise the bwi tug driver that when he makes a verbal contract with the captain (or anyone); keep the contract. At least advise the captain if there is a change of plans. We could have shut down engine #2 if he really needed to pull us. Just advise us of his intentions. My actions: 1) counseled the tug driver over the intercom; but I am fairly certain that he was not convinced that he had done anything wrong. 2) I called the chief pilot on duty on saturday and he agreed to speak to the bwi ground operations supervisors to advise them of this event. I asked that he not wait until monday to communicate with bwi ground operations; as I felt there was a need to stop this situation from happening again over the wkend. He agreed to call bwi ground operations today.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PUSHBACK CREW FAILED TO FOLLOW COMPANY PROCS DURING B737-700 PUSHBACK.

Narrative: WE WERE ABOUT TO COMMENCE OUR PUSHBACK FROM GATE. I MADE THE INITIAL COMS WITH THE PUSHBACK TUG DRIVER VIA INTERCOM. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED HIM IF WE NEEDED TO DELAY OUR ENG START. I HAD RECENTLY BEEN PUSHED OFF A GATE IN THE BWI ALLEYWAY WHERE THE TUG DRIVER DID A PUSH-PULL. APPARENTLY THE PUSH-PULL IS SOMETIMES USED BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN THE BACK ALLEYWAY. THE TUG DRIVER SAID THAT HE DID NOT NEED TO DO A PUSH-PULL; AND HE SAID WE WERE CLRED TO START BOTH ENGS. THE TUG DRIVER BEGAN TO PUSH US AS WE WERE STARTING ENG #2. AS I WAS ABOUT TO START ENG #1; THE TUG DRIVER BEGAN TO PULL US FORWARD. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED HIM TO STOP THE PULL. HE IGNORED MY COMMAND. HE CONTINUED TO PULL US FORWARD. I AGAIN ASKED HIM TO STOP THE PULL; AND ATTEMPTED TO CONVINCE HIM THAT PULLING THE ACFT WITH AN ENG RUNNING WAS PROHIBITED. HE EXCLAIMED THAT IT WAS ALRIGHT TO PULL THE ACFT JUST A LITTLE BIT. I FINALLY CONVINCED HIM TO SLOWLY BRING THE ACFT TO A STOP; SO WE WOULD NOT OVERRUN THE TUG AND THE TOW BAR. I DID NOT WANT TO DAMAGE THE TOW BAR; TUG; AND ACFT OR INJURE PERSONNEL BY AGGRESSIVELY APPLYING THE BRAKES. ON FOM THE WARNING SAYS: 'IF THE ACFT MOVES FORWARD ANYTIME DURING PUSHBACK; STOP THE ACFT; SET THE BRAKES; AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE WITH THE PUSHBACK DRIVER.' I DID NOT SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO STOP THE JET; BUT RATHER TALKED THE PUSHBACK DRIVER INTO STOPPING HIS PULL AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES. NO HARM WAS DONE TO THE TUG; JET; OR PERSONNEL. THERE WERE SEVERAL PROBS: 1) I HAD ANTICIPATED THE SITUATION; AND I HAD A VERBAL CONTRACT WITH THE TUG DRIVER THAT A PUSH-PULL WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED. HE GAVE US CLRNC TO START BOTH ENGS. THE TUG DRIVER BROKE THAT VERBAL CONTRACT AND BROKE THE RULES WHEN HE DECIDED TO CONDUCT THE PULL WITH THE #2 ENG RUNNING. 2) EVEN AFTER I COMMANDED THE TUG DRIVER TO STOP; HE DID NOT FOLLOW MY COMMAND. 3) EVEN AFTER I EXPLAINED TO THE TUG DRIVER THAT THE PULL WITH AN ENG RUNNING WAS A PROHIBITED MANEUVER; HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS OK TO PULL THE ACFT JUST A LITTLE BIT. RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS: 1) RETRAIN THE BWI TUG DRIVER. ADVISE HIM OF THE RULE THAT AN ACFT CANNOT BE PULLED ONCE AN ENG IS RUNNING; PERIOD! HE SEEMED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS RULE. 2) ADVISE THE BWI TUG DRIVER THAT WHEN HE MAKES A VERBAL CONTRACT WITH THE CAPT (OR ANYONE); KEEP THE CONTRACT. AT LEAST ADVISE THE CAPT IF THERE IS A CHANGE OF PLANS. WE COULD HAVE SHUT DOWN ENG #2 IF HE REALLY NEEDED TO PULL US. JUST ADVISE US OF HIS INTENTIONS. MY ACTIONS: 1) COUNSELED THE TUG DRIVER OVER THE INTERCOM; BUT I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT HE WAS NOT CONVINCED THAT HE HAD DONE ANYTHING WRONG. 2) I CALLED THE CHIEF PLT ON DUTY ON SATURDAY AND HE AGREED TO SPEAK TO THE BWI GND OPS SUPVRS TO ADVISE THEM OF THIS EVENT. I ASKED THAT HE NOT WAIT UNTIL MONDAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH BWI GND OPS; AS I FELT THERE WAS A NEED TO STOP THIS SITUATION FROM HAPPENING AGAIN OVER THE WKEND. HE AGREED TO CALL BWI GND OPS TODAY.

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.