Narrative:

While pushing back; the tug driver accidentally pushed us into the red zone behind the gate. The alleyway is very tight; and apparently the tug driver pushed the jet at the wrong angle causing the wing to come within a few ft of the concrete wall. At one point the nose of the jet was approximately 10-15 ft on the wrong side of the red line and the wrong side of the line of red above ground light fixtures. Normally; the captain is the only one who would see the red line and red light fixtures out his left window. On this pushback; my first officer was looking out his right window at the red line and red light fixtures. We had already started engine #2; and we did not start engine #1. We stopped the jet at one point and considered shutting down engine #2 to allow a pull. However; the jet was so far out of position; that the wing walker and the tug driver were in a better position to push us out of the red zone than to pull us out of the red zone. I expressed concern to the tug driver about the proximity of the red above ground lights that our wheels were straddling. The tug driver carefully maneuvered the aircraft around the red lights. The tug's rubber tire marks still remain on the ground between the red lights. The left wing did not hit the concrete wall; nor did our tires hit the red lights. The tug driver was apologetic and said that this had never happened before. The tug driver told us a few times that she was exhausted from starting the day at XA00. It was now XM51 (12+ hour day). The tug driver recognized the mistake and actually did a very good job recovering from a potentially bad situation with the help of a wing walker. The alleyway behind this gate is a very difficult place to push a jet; and only the most experienced drivers should work this area. Also; we are working our ramp agents to the point of exhaustion where they are more prone to make mistakes. I recommend no disciplinary action of any sort. Nothing needs to be said to the tug driver. The tug driver was apologetic; accepted full responsibility for what happened; and did a great job of recovering. We (the company) need to look at crew day limits for our ramp agents and protect them from the inevitable pitfalls of fatigue. Because it is difficult to recognize fatigue in ourselves; our supervisors need to be in the loop and remove our ramp agents from the line for some crew rest before they become exhausted.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW REPORTS BEING PUSHED BACK FROM GATE INTO UNAUTHORIZED AREA BY FATIGUED TUG DRIVER.

Narrative: WHILE PUSHING BACK; THE TUG DRIVER ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED US INTO THE RED ZONE BEHIND THE GATE. THE ALLEYWAY IS VERY TIGHT; AND APPARENTLY THE TUG DRIVER PUSHED THE JET AT THE WRONG ANGLE CAUSING THE WING TO COME WITHIN A FEW FT OF THE CONCRETE WALL. AT ONE POINT THE NOSE OF THE JET WAS APPROX 10-15 FT ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RED LINE AND THE WRONG SIDE OF THE LINE OF RED ABOVE GND LIGHT FIXTURES. NORMALLY; THE CAPT IS THE ONLY ONE WHO WOULD SEE THE RED LINE AND RED LIGHT FIXTURES OUT HIS L WINDOW. ON THIS PUSHBACK; MY FO WAS LOOKING OUT HIS R WINDOW AT THE RED LINE AND RED LIGHT FIXTURES. WE HAD ALREADY STARTED ENG #2; AND WE DID NOT START ENG #1. WE STOPPED THE JET AT ONE POINT AND CONSIDERED SHUTTING DOWN ENG #2 TO ALLOW A PULL. HOWEVER; THE JET WAS SO FAR OUT OF POS; THAT THE WING WALKER AND THE TUG DRIVER WERE IN A BETTER POS TO PUSH US OUT OF THE RED ZONE THAN TO PULL US OUT OF THE RED ZONE. I EXPRESSED CONCERN TO THE TUG DRIVER ABOUT THE PROX OF THE RED ABOVE GND LIGHTS THAT OUR WHEELS WERE STRADDLING. THE TUG DRIVER CAREFULLY MANEUVERED THE ACFT AROUND THE RED LIGHTS. THE TUG'S RUBBER TIRE MARKS STILL REMAIN ON THE GND BTWN THE RED LIGHTS. THE L WING DID NOT HIT THE CONCRETE WALL; NOR DID OUR TIRES HIT THE RED LIGHTS. THE TUG DRIVER WAS APOLOGETIC AND SAID THAT THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. THE TUG DRIVER TOLD US A FEW TIMES THAT SHE WAS EXHAUSTED FROM STARTING THE DAY AT XA00. IT WAS NOW XM51 (12+ HR DAY). THE TUG DRIVER RECOGNIZED THE MISTAKE AND ACTUALLY DID A VERY GOOD JOB RECOVERING FROM A POTENTIALLY BAD SITUATION WITH THE HELP OF A WING WALKER. THE ALLEYWAY BEHIND THIS GATE IS A VERY DIFFICULT PLACE TO PUSH A JET; AND ONLY THE MOST EXPERIENCED DRIVERS SHOULD WORK THIS AREA. ALSO; WE ARE WORKING OUR RAMP AGENTS TO THE POINT OF EXHAUSTION WHERE THEY ARE MORE PRONE TO MAKE MISTAKES. I RECOMMEND NO DISCIPLINARY ACTION OF ANY SORT. NOTHING NEEDS TO BE SAID TO THE TUG DRIVER. THE TUG DRIVER WAS APOLOGETIC; ACCEPTED FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT HAPPENED; AND DID A GREAT JOB OF RECOVERING. WE (THE COMPANY) NEED TO LOOK AT CREW DAY LIMITS FOR OUR RAMP AGENTS AND PROTECT THEM FROM THE INEVITABLE PITFALLS OF FATIGUE. BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE FATIGUE IN OURSELVES; OUR SUPVRS NEED TO BE IN THE LOOP AND REMOVE OUR RAMP AGENTS FROM THE LINE FOR SOME CREW REST BEFORE THEY BECOME EXHAUSTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.