Narrative:

We were operating with the bleed air portion of our APU inoperative. We were required to start with an air cart. After trying to communicate with pushback crew; we discovered we could transmit but not receive. His associate waved at us and began to use hand signals. I said 'no.' finally the pushback crew said he could hear us and gave us permission to start #1 engine. Again I said 'no' and told them I wanted to start #2 engine. He said ok. He then cleared me to start the other engine which was successful. I informed him that the generator was on the bus and he was cleared to disconnect the air and electrical connections. He asked for the brakes to be released for pushback. Throughout this communication he kept on keying the transmit button on the headset. I kept on asking if the equipment was clear and received no response. Instead he was attempting to push the aircraft with the brakes set. Finally; I released the brakes rather than have the aircraft pushed with the brakes set. Throughout the pushback; he kept keying the button and I attempted to make communications. After he stopped; he mumbled something and I asked him to repeat. No response. Finally; I set the brakes hoping that this is what he wanted. I did not clear him off the headset. He told me was disconnecting and did not wait for my response. This was the most dangerous ground operation I have ever experienced. Ogg station ground operations is notorious for their lack of checklist adherence or knowledge; training professionalism is non-existent. It is a matter of time before someone will be hurt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WAS CONCERNED WITH LACK OF COM AND POOR TECHNIQUE OF GND CREW DURING PUSHBACK.

Narrative: WE WERE OPERATING WITH THE BLEED AIR PORTION OF OUR APU INOP. WE WERE REQUIRED TO START WITH AN AIR CART. AFTER TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH PUSHBACK CREW; WE DISCOVERED WE COULD XMIT BUT NOT RECEIVE. HIS ASSOCIATE WAVED AT US AND BEGAN TO USE HAND SIGNALS. I SAID 'NO.' FINALLY THE PUSHBACK CREW SAID HE COULD HEAR US AND GAVE US PERMISSION TO START #1 ENG. AGAIN I SAID 'NO' AND TOLD THEM I WANTED TO START #2 ENG. HE SAID OK. HE THEN CLRED ME TO START THE OTHER ENG WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL. I INFORMED HIM THAT THE GENERATOR WAS ON THE BUS AND HE WAS CLRED TO DISCONNECT THE AIR AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS. HE ASKED FOR THE BRAKES TO BE RELEASED FOR PUSHBACK. THROUGHOUT THIS COM HE KEPT ON KEYING THE XMIT BUTTON ON THE HEADSET. I KEPT ON ASKING IF THE EQUIP WAS CLR AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. INSTEAD HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO PUSH THE ACFT WITH THE BRAKES SET. FINALLY; I RELEASED THE BRAKES RATHER THAN HAVE THE ACFT PUSHED WITH THE BRAKES SET. THROUGHOUT THE PUSHBACK; HE KEPT KEYING THE BUTTON AND I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE COMS. AFTER HE STOPPED; HE MUMBLED SOMETHING AND I ASKED HIM TO REPEAT. NO RESPONSE. FINALLY; I SET THE BRAKES HOPING THAT THIS IS WHAT HE WANTED. I DID NOT CLR HIM OFF THE HEADSET. HE TOLD ME WAS DISCONNECTING AND DID NOT WAIT FOR MY RESPONSE. THIS WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS GND OP I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. OGG STATION GND OPS IS NOTORIOUS FOR THEIR LACK OF CHKLIST ADHERENCE OR KNOWLEDGE; TRAINING PROFESSIONALISM IS NON-EXISTENT. IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE WILL BE HURT.

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.