Narrative:

After pushback the tug driver cleared me to set brakes and start engines. I subsequently cleared him off headset and advised him I would watch for his salute. The tug driver drove away and left the area. I did not observe a second individual as is normal procedure. The first officer states she heard me clear them off and wait for salute. We waited a few mins and nothing was heard so we called in to operations and reported that we had not been given a proper salute and release. They did not understand what we were talking about and stated they were busy with the load planning. So I queried ground control and asked them if they could see anyone under our aircraft and they responded that they could not observe us sufficiently. By now it had been probably 5 mins since I cleared the tug to disconnect headset. So I briefed to the first officer that I would slowly advance the 1 running engine and proceed very slowly. At that time I heard on the interphone that I had not cleared off the individual on headset at which time I reset the brakes and had a lengthy discussion with the individual about what could have possibly happened. He stated he never heard me clear him off. I suspect what happened was he was not on headset when I cleared the tug operator to disconnect headset and wait for salute or there was a malfunction in the headset itself. We have all been there when proper procedure was not followed with the salute and release and I assumed that this was another such case. It was a painful reminder that we have to be very careful and follow proper procedure during this critical phase of ground operations. Poor communication all around -- myself included!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 PLT RPTS A MISCOM BTWN THE FLT STATION AND GND CREW RESULTED IN A GND PERSON STILL ON THE HEADSET WHEN TAXI WAS INITIATED.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK THE TUG DRIVER CLRED ME TO SET BRAKES AND START ENGS. I SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED HIM OFF HEADSET AND ADVISED HIM I WOULD WATCH FOR HIS SALUTE. THE TUG DRIVER DROVE AWAY AND LEFT THE AREA. I DID NOT OBSERVE A SECOND INDIVIDUAL AS IS NORMAL PROC. THE FO STATES SHE HEARD ME CLR THEM OFF AND WAIT FOR SALUTE. WE WAITED A FEW MINS AND NOTHING WAS HEARD SO WE CALLED IN TO OPS AND RPTED THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN A PROPER SALUTE AND RELEASE. THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND STATED THEY WERE BUSY WITH THE LOAD PLANNING. SO I QUERIED GND CTL AND ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD SEE ANYONE UNDER OUR ACFT AND THEY RESPONDED THAT THEY COULD NOT OBSERVE US SUFFICIENTLY. BY NOW IT HAD BEEN PROBABLY 5 MINS SINCE I CLRED THE TUG TO DISCONNECT HEADSET. SO I BRIEFED TO THE FO THAT I WOULD SLOWLY ADVANCE THE 1 RUNNING ENG AND PROCEED VERY SLOWLY. AT THAT TIME I HEARD ON THE INTERPHONE THAT I HAD NOT CLRED OFF THE INDIVIDUAL ON HEADSET AT WHICH TIME I RESET THE BRAKES AND HAD A LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH THE INDIVIDUAL ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY HAPPENED. HE STATED HE NEVER HEARD ME CLR HIM OFF. I SUSPECT WHAT HAPPENED WAS HE WAS NOT ON HEADSET WHEN I CLRED THE TUG OPERATOR TO DISCONNECT HEADSET AND WAIT FOR SALUTE OR THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE HEADSET ITSELF. WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE WHEN PROPER PROC WAS NOT FOLLOWED WITH THE SALUTE AND RELEASE AND I ASSUMED THAT THIS WAS ANOTHER SUCH CASE. IT WAS A PAINFUL REMINDER THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND FOLLOW PROPER PROC DURING THIS CRITICAL PHASE OF GND OPS. POOR COM ALL AROUND -- MYSELF INCLUDED!

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.