B727 flight crew questions pushback procedures at roa.

Attributes
ACN	720010
Time
Date	200612
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roa.airport
State Reference	VA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7500
ASRS Report	720010
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 52 flight time total : 4550 flight time type : 2403
ASRS Report	720008
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The ramp is very small and they are pushing the B727 back after loading. Early in the week they pushed the aircraft back onto active taxiway G without warning to the crew and too late to coordination with ground controller for the proper clearance. The tower did not question the move; and the next evening I personally discussed the issue with the manager. I warned him of the risk and my concern about a violation. He assured me that they had been doing it that way for some time and that the tower was aware of our tight quarters at the end of the ramp and had no problem with what we were doing. The next 2 nights they managed to maneuver the pushback without positioning the main gear across the taxiway; although a portion of our wingtip may have been close. Nothing was mentioned to the crew by ATC. However; this evening the tower (ground controller) did call us in to question about what we were doing. We were clearly once again on the taxiway. I assured the controller that I would take action to rectify the problem and not allow it to happen again! There is no mention in the airport page cautioning the crew about calling for a pushback clearance onto the taxiway. I have since learned this evening from another crew member operating the trip last week that they had also been called in to question about the same problem. We need to get the word out to our crews not to allow this to happen.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLT CREW QUESTIONS PUSHBACK PROCS AT ROA.

Narrative: THE RAMP IS VERY SMALL AND THEY ARE PUSHING THE B727 BACK AFTER LOADING. EARLY IN THE WK THEY PUSHED THE ACFT BACK ONTO ACTIVE TXWY G WITHOUT WARNING TO THE CREW AND TOO LATE TO COORD WITH GND CTLR FOR THE PROPER CLRNC. THE TWR DID NOT QUESTION THE MOVE; AND THE NEXT EVENING I PERSONALLY DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH THE MGR. I WARNED HIM OF THE RISK AND MY CONCERN ABOUT A VIOLATION. HE ASSURED ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN DOING IT THAT WAY FOR SOME TIME AND THAT THE TWR WAS AWARE OF OUR TIGHT QUARTERS AT THE END OF THE RAMP AND HAD NO PROB WITH WHAT WE WERE DOING. THE NEXT 2 NIGHTS THEY MANAGED TO MANEUVER THE PUSHBACK WITHOUT POSITIONING THE MAIN GEAR ACROSS THE TXWY; ALTHOUGH A PORTION OF OUR WINGTIP MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSE. NOTHING WAS MENTIONED TO THE CREW BY ATC. HOWEVER; THIS EVENING THE TWR (GND CTLR) DID CALL US IN TO QUESTION ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING. WE WERE CLRLY ONCE AGAIN ON THE TXWY. I ASSURED THE CTLR THAT I WOULD TAKE ACTION TO RECTIFY THE PROB AND NOT ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN! THERE IS NO MENTION IN THE ARPT PAGE CAUTIONING THE CREW ABOUT CALLING FOR A PUSHBACK CLRNC ONTO THE TXWY. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THIS EVENING FROM ANOTHER CREW MEMBER OPERATING THE TRIP LAST WK THAT THEY HAD ALSO BEEN CALLED IN TO QUESTION ABOUT THE SAME PROB. WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT TO OUR CREWS NOT TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.

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.