Narrative:

Overall; this was a severe safety hazard with the potential to injure ground personnel or damage ground equipment. It appears to me that there is a training issue with this particular push crew regarding SOP; required communication; and the reason a salute is required and what it means. We were cleared to push by the tug driver and we released brakes normally and then I told her we were waiting for a maintenance release message due to an unrelated cabin item that was cleared. Once we had the maintenance release message we began the push normally. I was making an effort to use the precise communication SOP since I read the latest safety information about pushback errors. Everything was normal until the brakes were set after the push. She said 'disconnecting headset. Have a good flight.' I answered with 'I see that you disconnected the nosewheel steering pin so you are cleared to disconnect headset.' she disconnected and proceeded to the plane over-nighting at my 7 O'clock position. One helper went with her to hook the towbar to that plane; the other helper jumped in a bag tug and drove to the gate parking space; apparently waiting for the tug to return with the overnight aircraft. I was watching intently for the salute and release and nobody made a move to give it to me. I had delayed engine start until push completion since we were a little out of sorts due to the late maintenance release message and since things just didn't seem to be going quite right. The copilot and I looked at each other after a minute or so as it sunk in that nobody was going to release us. We called operations and relayed the problem. Someone from operations came out on another bag tug; hopped off; checked out the area around the plane; then gave us the salute and release signal. We then started and taxied normally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPTAIN FAILS TO RECEIVE EITHER A CLRNC TO START ENGINES OR A SALUTE; ADVISING IT WAS SAFE TO TAXI.

Narrative: OVERALL; THIS WAS A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD WITH THE POTENTIAL TO INJURE GND PERSONNEL OR DAMAGE GND EQUIP. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THERE IS A TRAINING ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR PUSH CREW REGARDING SOP; REQUIRED COM; AND THE REASON A SALUTE IS REQUIRED AND WHAT IT MEANS. WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH BY THE TUG DRIVER AND WE RELEASED BRAKES NORMALLY AND THEN I TOLD HER WE WERE WAITING FOR A MAINT RELEASE MESSAGE DUE TO AN UNRELATED CABIN ITEM THAT WAS CLRED. ONCE WE HAD THE MAINT RELEASE MESSAGE WE BEGAN THE PUSH NORMALLY. I WAS MAKING AN EFFORT TO USE THE PRECISE COM SOP SINCE I READ THE LATEST SAFETY INFO ABOUT PUSHBACK ERRORS. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE BRAKES WERE SET AFTER THE PUSH. SHE SAID 'DISCONNECTING HEADSET. HAVE A GOOD FLT.' I ANSWERED WITH 'I SEE THAT YOU DISCONNECTED THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING PIN SO YOU ARE CLRED TO DISCONNECT HEADSET.' SHE DISCONNECTED AND PROCEEDED TO THE PLANE OVER-NIGHTING AT MY 7 O'CLOCK POS. ONE HELPER WENT WITH HER TO HOOK THE TOWBAR TO THAT PLANE; THE OTHER HELPER JUMPED IN A BAG TUG AND DROVE TO THE GATE PARKING SPACE; APPARENTLY WAITING FOR THE TUG TO RETURN WITH THE OVERNIGHT ACFT. I WAS WATCHING INTENTLY FOR THE SALUTE AND RELEASE AND NOBODY MADE A MOVE TO GIVE IT TO ME. I HAD DELAYED ENG START UNTIL PUSH COMPLETION SINCE WE WERE A LITTLE OUT OF SORTS DUE TO THE LATE MAINT RELEASE MESSAGE AND SINCE THINGS JUST DIDN'T SEEM TO BE GOING QUITE RIGHT. THE COPLT AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AFTER A MINUTE OR SO AS IT SUNK IN THAT NOBODY WAS GOING TO RELEASE US. WE CALLED OPS AND RELAYED THE PROB. SOMEONE FROM OPS CAME OUT ON ANOTHER BAG TUG; HOPPED OFF; CHKED OUT THE AREA AROUND THE PLANE; THEN GAVE US THE SALUTE AND RELEASE SIGNAL. WE THEN STARTED AND TAXIED NORMALLY.

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.