Narrative:

Due to late bags; our aircraft was 5 mins late for push out of gate. We were cleared to push and began our pushback. Both pilots noted that the tug driver drifted the aircraft 4 ft left of centerline and then made an aggressive cut back to centerline. This correction was never really taken out and the aircraft ended up well right of centerline (my estimate was 18 ft). We both made comments on how far the aircraft was off the centerline. The captain then set the parking brake and I went heads down to start the #2 engine. Gate xx called for and received clearance to push. I did not hear this but the captain noted their movement and told me to call ramp and stop their push. I did so; stating that 'aircraft at gate xy is well right of centerline and we need you to stop the push.' ramp made that call; but the B737 at xx did not respond. I was now getting very concerned so I began making directive calls on ramp frequency. 'Aircraft at gate xx stop your push!' I made that call at least 2 times but they were still moving back (on centerline at least). In desperation; I gave the emergency stop signal to our wing walker. I don't know if he saw it; but he began running to the xx tug and stopped their push. When they stopped; the leading edge of their #1 engine was abeam my seat; so I estimate that they were just 15 ft short of impact. Looking at the wings; I was not sure; but estimated that there was a significant chance that they would have contacted each other. The gate xx tug pulled forward and we proceeded on our way. The next morning the captain and myself went down to gate xx and used a tape measure to get more accurate data. By measurement I now estimate that we were 16.5 ft right of centerline and that the aircraft wings would have cleared by 2-4 ft. I am submitting this for 2 reasons. One; there has been a chronic problem in ZZZ over the last 2 yrs with sub-standard pushes. It is not at all unusual for pushes in ZZZ to 'snake dance' +/-10 ft of the centerline. On many occasions I have seen pushes like this one where a small deviation results in larger deviations that rapidly become unsafe. It's almost as if the simplicity of ZZZ pushes have resulted in a very low level of proficiency and when tug drivers do get off the centerline they are at a loss on how to correct back on to it. The result is dynamically unstable pushes that get more and more out of tolerance as they proceed. That leads me to the second point. We had a wing walker. I never saw one at xx. Our wing walker was key to averting an unsafe situation. If there was one at xx he should never have let his aircraft push us so right of centerline. I really have to wonder what the ramp is training tug drivers to accept in the way of deviations. I also wonder what wing walkers are being trained to accept for wingtip clearance. When we asked if our wings were overlapping we were told 'it's close.' in my opinion; there is never a need for wingtips to be 'close' in ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT REPORTS HIS ACFT'S PUSH BACK TUG DRIVER PUT THEM RIGHT OF TXWY CENTER LINE. ANOTHER ACFT PUSHING BACK WAS STOPPED VERY NEAR THEIR ACFT PREVENTING A COLLISION.

Narrative: DUE TO LATE BAGS; OUR ACFT WAS 5 MINS LATE FOR PUSH OUT OF GATE. WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH AND BEGAN OUR PUSHBACK. BOTH PLTS NOTED THAT THE TUG DRIVER DRIFTED THE ACFT 4 FT L OF CTRLINE AND THEN MADE AN AGGRESSIVE CUT BACK TO CTRLINE. THIS CORRECTION WAS NEVER REALLY TAKEN OUT AND THE ACFT ENDED UP WELL R OF CTRLINE (MY ESTIMATE WAS 18 FT). WE BOTH MADE COMMENTS ON HOW FAR THE ACFT WAS OFF THE CTRLINE. THE CAPT THEN SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND I WENT HEADS DOWN TO START THE #2 ENG. GATE XX CALLED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO PUSH. I DID NOT HEAR THIS BUT THE CAPT NOTED THEIR MOVEMENT AND TOLD ME TO CALL RAMP AND STOP THEIR PUSH. I DID SO; STATING THAT 'ACFT AT GATE XY IS WELL R OF CTRLINE AND WE NEED YOU TO STOP THE PUSH.' RAMP MADE THAT CALL; BUT THE B737 AT XX DID NOT RESPOND. I WAS NOW GETTING VERY CONCERNED SO I BEGAN MAKING DIRECTIVE CALLS ON RAMP FREQ. 'ACFT AT GATE XX STOP YOUR PUSH!' I MADE THAT CALL AT LEAST 2 TIMES BUT THEY WERE STILL MOVING BACK (ON CTRLINE AT LEAST). IN DESPERATION; I GAVE THE EMER STOP SIGNAL TO OUR WING WALKER. I DON'T KNOW IF HE SAW IT; BUT HE BEGAN RUNNING TO THE XX TUG AND STOPPED THEIR PUSH. WHEN THEY STOPPED; THE LEADING EDGE OF THEIR #1 ENG WAS ABEAM MY SEAT; SO I ESTIMATE THAT THEY WERE JUST 15 FT SHORT OF IMPACT. LOOKING AT THE WINGS; I WAS NOT SURE; BUT ESTIMATED THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT CHANCE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE CONTACTED EACH OTHER. THE GATE XX TUG PULLED FORWARD AND WE PROCEEDED ON OUR WAY. THE NEXT MORNING THE CAPT AND MYSELF WENT DOWN TO GATE XX AND USED A TAPE MEASURE TO GET MORE ACCURATE DATA. BY MEASUREMENT I NOW ESTIMATE THAT WE WERE 16.5 FT R OF CTRLINE AND THAT THE ACFT WINGS WOULD HAVE CLRED BY 2-4 FT. I AM SUBMITTING THIS FOR 2 REASONS. ONE; THERE HAS BEEN A CHRONIC PROB IN ZZZ OVER THE LAST 2 YRS WITH SUB-STANDARD PUSHES. IT IS NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL FOR PUSHES IN ZZZ TO 'SNAKE DANCE' +/-10 FT OF THE CTRLINE. ON MANY OCCASIONS I HAVE SEEN PUSHES LIKE THIS ONE WHERE A SMALL DEV RESULTS IN LARGER DEVS THAT RAPIDLY BECOME UNSAFE. IT'S ALMOST AS IF THE SIMPLICITY OF ZZZ PUSHES HAVE RESULTED IN A VERY LOW LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY AND WHEN TUG DRIVERS DO GET OFF THE CTRLINE THEY ARE AT A LOSS ON HOW TO CORRECT BACK ON TO IT. THE RESULT IS DYNAMICALLY UNSTABLE PUSHES THAT GET MORE AND MORE OUT OF TOLERANCE AS THEY PROCEED. THAT LEADS ME TO THE SECOND POINT. WE HAD A WING WALKER. I NEVER SAW ONE AT XX. OUR WING WALKER WAS KEY TO AVERTING AN UNSAFE SITUATION. IF THERE WAS ONE AT XX HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET HIS ACFT PUSH US SO R OF CTRLINE. I REALLY HAVE TO WONDER WHAT THE RAMP IS TRAINING TUG DRIVERS TO ACCEPT IN THE WAY OF DEVS. I ALSO WONDER WHAT WING WALKERS ARE BEING TRAINED TO ACCEPT FOR WINGTIP CLRNC. WHEN WE ASKED IF OUR WINGS WERE OVERLAPPING WE WERE TOLD 'IT'S CLOSE.' IN MY OPINION; THERE IS NEVER A NEED FOR WINGTIPS TO BE 'CLOSE' IN ZZZ.

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.