Narrative:

Pushback driver could barely speak or understand plain english after multiple attempts to speak to him. He also had no idea that a pre-pushback communications check was to be performed prior to pushback. Non-standard calls were also used. Understanding and speaking english fluently should be a given; established procedures should be trained and this individual is poorly equipped to be moving a multi-million dollar aircraft let alone 160+ people and crew. This is so commonplace that many pilots are just apathetic and resigned to the fact that no one is in charge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-900 CAPT EXPRESSED CONCERNS REGARDING CONTRACT WORKERS PROCS AND TRAINING FOR PUSHBACK.

Narrative: PUSHBACK DRIVER COULD BARELY SPEAK OR UNDERSTAND PLAIN ENGLISH AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO SPEAK TO HIM. HE ALSO HAD NO IDEA THAT A PRE-PUSHBACK COMS CHK WAS TO BE PERFORMED PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. NON-STANDARD CALLS WERE ALSO USED. UNDERSTANDING AND SPEAKING ENGLISH FLUENTLY SHOULD BE A GIVEN; ESTABLISHED PROCS SHOULD BE TRAINED AND THIS INDIVIDUAL IS POORLY EQUIPPED TO BE MOVING A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR ACFT LET ALONE 160+ PEOPLE AND CREW. THIS IS SO COMMONPLACE THAT MANY PLTS ARE JUST APATHETIC AND RESIGNED TO THE FACT THAT NO ONE IS IN CHARGE.

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.