Narrative:

Prior to pushback at sfo, I reviewed the company briefing page in the commercial manual. We thought it to say that we only called 131.57 (company) for push clearance out of the throat area, then called ground abeam gate 14 outbound. What I didn't realize, was that the gate that we were parked at, A1, was east of gate 14, and that we would taxi in the opposite direction from gate 14. As we completed our push-back to the entrance to the throat area near gate 14, ground control called us, and was upset that we pushed without a clearance. We thought that we had obtained a clearance from company, and we about to contact ground. Being relatively 'unfamiliar' with the sfo airport, and the 'local' way of doing things, put us at a disadvantage, and in a position of being 'set-up'. We later, obtained a complete briefing from pilots very familiar with sfo ground procedure. The problem as I see it, not only at sfo, but all airports, is the lack of standardized ground movement procedure for aircraft. Not only that, many of these various procedures are not written down on paper in pilot charts or publications, for pilot reference. For example, at lga, we call another air carrier gate control to pushback, but ground control also wants an advisory call. A small blue sign on the wall of the terminal advises of the need to 'call ground 121.7'. In bwi, ground control doesn't want a call prior to push, from certain gates, but which gates??? At some airports, you monitor gate control, or clearance delivery, before going to ground. At least put the procedure in both text form and graphic form by putting frequencys in areas of airport diagrams, indicating who is controling that movement area. Pilots should have clear and concise information on aircraft movement procedures on the ground too! Please help address this need!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG PUSHED BACK AND TAXIED WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM THE TWR.

Narrative: PRIOR TO PUSHBACK AT SFO, I REVIEWED THE COMPANY BRIEFING PAGE IN THE COMMERCIAL MANUAL. WE THOUGHT IT TO SAY THAT WE ONLY CALLED 131.57 (COMPANY) FOR PUSH CLRNC OUT OF THE THROAT AREA, THEN CALLED GND ABEAM GATE 14 OUTBOUND. WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE, WAS THAT THE GATE THAT WE WERE PARKED AT, A1, WAS EAST OF GATE 14, AND THAT WE WOULD TAXI IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM GATE 14. AS WE COMPLETED OUR PUSH-BACK TO THE ENTRANCE TO THE THROAT AREA NEAR GATE 14, GND CTL CALLED US, AND WAS UPSET THAT WE PUSHED WITHOUT A CLRNC. WE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD OBTAINED A CLRNC FROM COMPANY, AND WE ABOUT TO CONTACT GND. BEING RELATIVELY 'UNFAMILIAR' WITH THE SFO ARPT, AND THE 'LOCAL' WAY OF DOING THINGS, PUT US AT A DISADVANTAGE, AND IN A POSITION OF BEING 'SET-UP'. WE LATER, OBTAINED A COMPLETE BRIEFING FROM PLTS VERY FAMILIAR WITH SFO GND PROC. THE PROBLEM AS I SEE IT, NOT ONLY AT SFO, BUT ALL ARPTS, IS THE LACK OF STANDARDIZED GND MOVEMENT PROCEDURE FOR ACFT. NOT ONLY THAT, MANY OF THESE VARIOUS PROCEDURES ARE NOT WRITTEN DOWN ON PAPER IN PLT CHARTS OR PUBLICATIONS, FOR PLT REFERENCE. FOR EXAMPLE, AT LGA, WE CALL ANOTHER ACR GATE CTL TO PUSHBACK, BUT GND CTL ALSO WANTS AN ADVISORY CALL. A SMALL BLUE SIGN ON THE WALL OF THE TERMINAL ADVISES OF THE NEED TO 'CALL GND 121.7'. IN BWI, GND CTL DOESN'T WANT A CALL PRIOR TO PUSH, FROM CERTAIN GATES, BUT WHICH GATES??? AT SOME ARPTS, YOU MONITOR GATE CTL, OR CLRNC DELIVERY, BEFORE GOING TO GND. AT LEAST PUT THE PROCEDURE IN BOTH TEXT FORM AND GRAPHIC FORM BY PUTTING FREQS IN AREAS OF ARPT DIAGRAMS, INDICATING WHO IS CTLING THAT MOVEMENT AREA. PLTS SHOULD HAVE CLEAR AND CONCISE INFORMATION ON ACFT MOVEMENT PROCEDURES ON THE GND TOO! PLEASE HELP ADDRESS THIS NEED!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.