B737-400 flight crew during pushback has the aircraft placed behind another aircraft with the engine...

Attributes
ACN	709197
Time
Date	200609
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx.airport
State Reference	OR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : pdx.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	709197
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company ATC Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Aircraft pushed off gate. Notified by push crew that aircraft YYY had an engine running at the gate we were being pushed past and the jetblast was interfering with their pushback. Tug driver chose to stop the push. Flight crew coordination with ground control to try to get aircraft YYY to shut down the engine so push could continue. Aircraft YYY advised they had no APU and started at the gate; after receiving approval from ground control. Flight crew could no longer communicate with the tug driver as his headset was being blown off. He finally held it on with both hands long enough for us to tell him to disconnect tug and leave the area. Our aircraft had been pushed about 1/2 way through a turn around to face outbound. Once crew was clear we taxied outbound without incident. Pushback crew was placed in a hazardous situation that fortunately ended without injury. Ground control acknowledged clearing aircraft YYY start at the gate; but did not tell our flight they had an engine running. Clearly notifying our flight crew would have allowed us to stop the push prior to getting the ground crew into jetblast.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 FLT CREW DURING PUSHBACK HAS THE ACFT PLACED BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT WITH THE ENG RUNNING.

Narrative: ACFT PUSHED OFF GATE. NOTIFIED BY PUSH CREW THAT ACFT YYY HAD AN ENG RUNNING AT THE GATE WE WERE BEING PUSHED PAST AND THE JETBLAST WAS INTERFERING WITH THEIR PUSHBACK. TUG DRIVER CHOSE TO STOP THE PUSH. FLT CREW COORD WITH GND CTL TO TRY TO GET ACFT YYY TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG SO PUSH COULD CONTINUE. ACFT YYY ADVISED THEY HAD NO APU AND STARTED AT THE GATE; AFTER RECEIVING APPROVAL FROM GND CTL. FLT CREW COULD NO LONGER COMMUNICATE WITH THE TUG DRIVER AS HIS HEADSET WAS BEING BLOWN OFF. HE FINALLY HELD IT ON WITH BOTH HANDS LONG ENOUGH FOR US TO TELL HIM TO DISCONNECT TUG AND LEAVE THE AREA. OUR ACFT HAD BEEN PUSHED ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH A TURN AROUND TO FACE OUTBOUND. ONCE CREW WAS CLR WE TAXIED OUTBOUND WITHOUT INCIDENT. PUSHBACK CREW WAS PLACED IN A HAZARDOUS SITUATION THAT FORTUNATELY ENDED WITHOUT INJURY. GND CTL ACKNOWLEDGED CLRING ACFT YYY START AT THE GATE; BUT DID NOT TELL OUR FLT THEY HAD AN ENG RUNNING. CLRLY NOTIFYING OUR FLT CREW WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US TO STOP THE PUSH PRIOR TO GETTING THE GND CREW INTO JETBLAST.

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.

B737-400 flight crew during pushback has the aircraft placed behind another aircraft with the engine running.