Narrative:

At approximately 30 seconds prior to an on-time departure we heard the ground crew attempting to establish communication. We could hear the headset cord being connected and disconnected through the headset. At about the same time I saw an individual in front of the aircraft wildly waving his arms. This individual was later idented by the pushback crew to be a ramp supervisor. When he got my attention; he kept giving hand signals for me to release the aircraft brakes. At this time no communication had been established between the ground crew and myself. I gestured a negative reply with my head which caused an increase in supervisor's gestures with repeated (more than 10 times) hand signals requesting me to release brakes. I refused due to the confusion of the last min request and per fom guidance; which states that prior communication between the flight crew and push crew must have taken place. At about this time; communication was established through the headset and we commenced push procedures as per SOP. After the aircraft had moved approximately 3 ft; the forward pit door warning illuminated. I called for push to stop. I asked the tug driver what was going on. He stated; 'I don't know; the ramp supervisor just opened the pit.' we called ramp to tell them we had discontinued the push. At this time I told the tug driver that I was concerned about the safety of what had happened and he stated he was also; but that the supervisor had made the decision to get the brakes off then finish loading the aircraft. My concern is ramp supervisor's blatant lack of safety of people and equipment with the focus of on-time without regard to SOP's or safety. The procedures outlined in the fom were completely disregarded by the ramp supervisor in order to get the on-time departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW WAS PREPARING FOR PUSHBACK WHEN A RAMP SUPERVISOR ATTEMPTED TO COORDINATE AN ON-TIME BRAKE RELEASE VIA HAND SIGNALS. LOADING OF THE ACFT WAS NOT COMPLETE.

Narrative: AT APPROX 30 SECONDS PRIOR TO AN ON-TIME DEP WE HEARD THE GND CREW ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH COM. WE COULD HEAR THE HEADSET CORD BEING CONNECTED AND DISCONNECTED THROUGH THE HEADSET. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME I SAW AN INDIVIDUAL IN FRONT OF THE ACFT WILDLY WAVING HIS ARMS. THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS LATER IDENTED BY THE PUSHBACK CREW TO BE A RAMP SUPVR. WHEN HE GOT MY ATTN; HE KEPT GIVING HAND SIGNALS FOR ME TO RELEASE THE ACFT BRAKES. AT THIS TIME NO COM HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED BTWN THE GND CREW AND MYSELF. I GESTURED A NEGATIVE REPLY WITH MY HEAD WHICH CAUSED AN INCREASE IN SUPVR'S GESTURES WITH REPEATED (MORE THAN 10 TIMES) HAND SIGNALS REQUESTING ME TO RELEASE BRAKES. I REFUSED DUE TO THE CONFUSION OF THE LAST MIN REQUEST AND PER FOM GUIDANCE; WHICH STATES THAT PRIOR COM BTWN THE FLT CREW AND PUSH CREW MUST HAVE TAKEN PLACE. AT ABOUT THIS TIME; COM WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE HEADSET AND WE COMMENCED PUSH PROCS AS PER SOP. AFTER THE ACFT HAD MOVED APPROX 3 FT; THE FORWARD PIT DOOR WARNING ILLUMINATED. I CALLED FOR PUSH TO STOP. I ASKED THE TUG DRIVER WHAT WAS GOING ON. HE STATED; 'I DON'T KNOW; THE RAMP SUPVR JUST OPENED THE PIT.' WE CALLED RAMP TO TELL THEM WE HAD DISCONTINUED THE PUSH. AT THIS TIME I TOLD THE TUG DRIVER THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE STATED HE WAS ALSO; BUT THAT THE SUPVR HAD MADE THE DECISION TO GET THE BRAKES OFF THEN FINISH LOADING THE ACFT. MY CONCERN IS RAMP SUPVR'S BLATANT LACK OF SAFETY OF PEOPLE AND EQUIP WITH THE FOCUS OF ON-TIME WITHOUT REGARD TO SOP'S OR SAFETY. THE PROCS OUTLINED IN THE FOM WERE COMPLETELY DISREGARDED BY THE RAMP SUPVR IN ORDER TO GET THE ON-TIME DEP.

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.