Narrative:

There continues to be issues with ground operations. Dtw bins continue to be located within the clear zone. Headset and communication procedures continue to be not followed by ground crews. Use of wands and night wands continues to be a problem. Flight #1: while waiting to depart msp gate; the tug operator positioned the tug for pushback. During this time I noticed that he was trying to use a headset which was broken in two pieces. I asked him to show me the condition of his headset. I contacted msp operations and requested that a supervisor bring a working and non broken headset to the gate. This took about 10 mins and required multiple calls to operations. Flight #2: upon arrival in at the gate. I noticed a bag cart; not carry on; within the left clear zone. I was being signaled to taxi in but signaled that the cart needed to be moved. It was moved prior to taxi. Flight #3: while waiting to start in msp; the marshaler tried to use unlit wands. The wands were the standard issue day and night wands but there was no attempt to light the wands for signaling. It was dark. I indicated that lit wands needed to be used. While waiting; the tug positioned for pushback but did not have a headset. It took a few minutes to have a headset brought to the gate. Flight #4: after starting the right engine in the gate in cwa and giving the signal to disconnect ground power; the ramp person put down their wands and began to walk to the right of the aircraft. I had just about shut down the right engine when a different ramp person came up and picked up the wands and kind of assumed the marshalling duties. While post flighting the aircraft in dtw; I noticed that a bin was within the clear zone near the fuel bowser. The bin was not within containment lines. Flight #5: this was a flight added by scheduling. The crew was originally scheduled for a 4 hour break. With the reschedule; that break was reduced to 32 minutes. I advised the crew scheduler that the crew would need to have lunch and that the flight would need to be delayed. I recommended a departure time to be posted. She stated that she would advise dispatch. I also informed dispatch of the expected delay while talking about weather planning. During the in range call I mentioned to operations that we were the outbound crew and that dispatch was advised that the flight would be delayed. We received the response that dispatch had not posted a delay. After parking in the gate and requesting our in time from operations; I again mentioned that we would be delaying the outbound flight and received the reply that they believed we were doing a 'quick turn.' the flight was delayed about 40 minutes because of the need to eat; the flight crew was waiting for departure but did not push back for another 10 minutes. It was the only break the crew had for a meal during the rescheduled 13+ hour day. Flight #6: because of the delay earlier in the day and the severe weather in the michigan area; the flight was late arriving into msp at the gate. We waited outside the gate area for parking. A person that I am unsure of; but appearing to be a csa; white shirt and tie; wearing a back pack; came out of the jetway and walked across the ramp trying to find someone to park us. Finding no one; he found some lit wands and began to marshal us into the gate. It was the best marshalling procedurally for this trip. Flight #7: while waiting to push back in msp at the gate a ramp person with unlit wands tried to signal us for engine start. His wands were the day/night wands but were not turned on. It was dark. Flight #8: while establishing communication with the pushback operator in msp at gate the tug operator never attempted to activate the microphone. I asked if the microphone was inoperative and he nodded his head. These events were observed by the flight crew. To the best of the flight crew's abilities; these errors were corrected prior to the crew continuing. Ground operations SOP continues to need review and correction.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT RPTS MULTIPLE EXAMPLES OF MISHANDLING OF PARKING AND PUSHBACK OPS BY GND CREW.

Narrative: THERE CONTINUES TO BE ISSUES WITH GROUND OPERATIONS. DTW BINS CONTINUE TO BE LOCATED WITHIN THE CLEAR ZONE. HEADSET AND COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES CONTINUE TO BE NOT FOLLOWED BY GROUND CREWS. USE OF WANDS AND NIGHT WANDS CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM. FLT #1: WHILE WAITING TO DEPART MSP GATE; THE TUG OPERATOR POSITIONED THE TUG FOR PUSHBACK. DURING THIS TIME I NOTICED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO USE A HEADSET WHICH WAS BROKEN IN TWO PIECES. I ASKED HIM TO SHOW ME THE CONDITION OF HIS HEADSET. I CONTACTED MSP OPERATIONS AND REQUESTED THAT A SUPERVISOR BRING A WORKING AND NON BROKEN HEADSET TO THE GATE. THIS TOOK ABOUT 10 MINS AND REQUIRED MULTIPLE CALLS TO OPS. FLT #2: UPON ARRIVAL IN AT THE GATE. I NOTICED A BAG CART; NOT CARRY ON; WITHIN THE LEFT CLEAR ZONE. I WAS BEING SIGNALED TO TAXI IN BUT SIGNALED THAT THE CART NEEDED TO BE MOVED. IT WAS MOVED PRIOR TO TAXI. FLT #3: WHILE WAITING TO START IN MSP; THE MARSHALER TRIED TO USE UNLIT WANDS. THE WANDS WERE THE STANDARD ISSUE DAY AND NIGHT WANDS BUT THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT TO LIGHT THE WANDS FOR SIGNALING. IT WAS DARK. I INDICATED THAT LIT WANDS NEEDED TO BE USED. WHILE WAITING; THE TUG POSITIONED FOR PUSHBACK BUT DID NOT HAVE A HEADSET. IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO HAVE A HEADSET BROUGHT TO THE GATE. FLT #4: AFTER STARTING THE RIGHT ENGINE IN THE GATE IN CWA AND GIVING THE SIGNAL TO DISCONNECT GROUND POWER; THE RAMP PERSON PUT DOWN THEIR WANDS AND BEGAN TO WALK TO THE RIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. I HAD JUST ABOUT SHUT DOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE WHEN A DIFFERENT RAMP PERSON CAME UP AND PICKED UP THE WANDS AND KIND OF ASSUMED THE MARSHALLING DUTIES. WHILE POST FLIGHTING THE AIRCRAFT IN DTW; I NOTICED THAT A BIN WAS WITHIN THE CLEAR ZONE NEAR THE FUEL BOWSER. THE BIN WAS NOT WITHIN CONTAINMENT LINES. FLT #5: THIS WAS A FLIGHT ADDED BY SCHEDULING. THE CREW WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR A 4 HOUR BREAK. WITH THE RESCHEDULE; THAT BREAK WAS REDUCED TO 32 MINUTES. I ADVISED THE CREW SCHEDULER THAT THE CREW WOULD NEED TO HAVE LUNCH AND THAT THE FLIGHT WOULD NEED TO BE DELAYED. I RECOMMENDED A DEPARTURE TIME TO BE POSTED. SHE STATED THAT SHE WOULD ADVISE DISPATCH. I ALSO INFORMED DISPATCH OF THE EXPECTED DELAY WHILE TALKING ABOUT WEATHER PLANNING. DURING THE IN RANGE CALL I MENTIONED TO OPS THAT WE WERE THE OUTBOUND CREW AND THAT DISPATCH WAS ADVISED THAT THE FLIGHT WOULD BE DELAYED. WE RECEIVED THE RESPONSE THAT DISPATCH HAD NOT POSTED A DELAY. AFTER PARKING IN THE GATE AND REQUESTING OUR IN TIME FROM OPS; I AGAIN MENTIONED THAT WE WOULD BE DELAYING THE OUTBOUND FLIGHT AND RECEIVED THE REPLY THAT THEY BELIEVED WE WERE DOING A 'QUICK TURN.' THE FLIGHT WAS DELAYED ABOUT 40 MINUTES BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO EAT; THE FLIGHT CREW WAS WAITING FOR DEPARTURE BUT DID NOT PUSH BACK FOR ANOTHER 10 MINUTES. IT WAS THE ONLY BREAK THE CREW HAD FOR A MEAL DURING THE RESCHEDULED 13+ HOUR DAY. FLT #6: BECAUSE OF THE DELAY EARLIER IN THE DAY AND THE SEVERE WEATHER IN THE MICHIGAN AREA; THE FLIGHT WAS LATE ARRIVING INTO MSP AT THE GATE. WE WAITED OUTSIDE THE GATE AREA FOR PARKING. A PERSON THAT I AM UNSURE OF; BUT APPEARING TO BE A CSA; WHITE SHIRT AND TIE; WEARING A BACK PACK; CAME OUT OF THE JETWAY AND WALKED ACROSS THE RAMP TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE TO PARK US. FINDING NO ONE; HE FOUND SOME LIT WANDS AND BEGAN TO MARSHAL US INTO THE GATE. IT WAS THE BEST MARSHALLING PROCEDURALLY FOR THIS TRIP. FLT #7: WHILE WAITING TO PUSH BACK IN MSP AT THE GATE A RAMP PERSON WITH UNLIT WANDS TRIED TO SIGNAL US FOR ENGINE START. HIS WANDS WERE THE DAY/NIGHT WANDS BUT WERE NOT TURNED ON. IT WAS DARK. FLT #8: WHILE ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUSHBACK OPERATOR IN MSP AT GATE THE TUG OPERATOR NEVER ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE THE MIC. I ASKED IF THE MIC WAS INOPERATIVE AND HE NODDED HIS HEAD. THESE EVENTS WERE OBSERVED BY THE FLIGHT CREW. TO THE BEST OF THE FLIGHT CREW'S ABILITIES; THESE ERRORS WERE CORRECTED PRIOR TO THE CREW CONTINUING. GROUND OPERATIONS SOP CONTINUES TO NEED REVIEW AND CORRECTION.

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.