Narrative:

I was captain out of aus. Our company is using a new parking facility which is extremely noise sensitive which requires a 3 engine shutdown and pull in to parking and a 1 engine pushback. The company issued a letter covering this procedure. This procedure requires taxiing down runway 35 to taxiway P and shutting down all engine except #3, hooking up to tug and being towed into parking spot. Company letter also says that during night operation (departure) the reverse order would be followed. During first night, our ground personnel, told me that they had a meeting with the airport personnel and that it was understood that when we called for pushback that we would be pushing back onto runway 35 because parallel taxiway was to narrow for aircraft. First night operation went ok as planned. On second night, 9/fri/88, the same operation was planned as the night before however I was operating with a different first officer. When it became time to pushback I instructed him to call ground and request a pushback clearance. During the time while he was in contact with ground control, I was called on the interphone by our ground personnel. Therefore I missed most of the ground controllers instructions and all I heard was 'call ready to taxi.' I asked my first officer what ground had said and he said ground said, 'clear to pushback and call ready to taxi.' at the finish of pushback we called ground control ready for taxi. At that point ground questioned our position and said that he didn't know that he had cleared us to push onto a runway. At that point he cleared us to taxi and nothing further was said. I notified the company and the chief pilot called the tower that morning. The chief pilot called me and said that there was a communication breakdown somewhere and that the problem was being addressed. He also informed me that the ground controller had been off duty prior to that night(south) and was not informed as to our pushback procedure or requirements. At this time the tower said that they were not planning to take any action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HVT PUSHED BACK ONTO RWY FOR ENGINE START WITHOUT TWR CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OUT OF AUS. OUR COMPANY IS USING A NEW PARKING FAC WHICH IS EXTREMELY NOISE SENSITIVE WHICH REQUIRES A 3 ENG SHUTDOWN AND PULL IN TO PARKING AND A 1 ENG PUSHBACK. THE COMPANY ISSUED A LETTER COVERING THIS PROC. THIS PROC REQUIRES TAXIING DOWN RWY 35 TO TXWY P AND SHUTTING DOWN ALL ENG EXCEPT #3, HOOKING UP TO TUG AND BEING TOWED INTO PARKING SPOT. COMPANY LETTER ALSO SAYS THAT DURING NIGHT OPERATION (DEP) THE REVERSE ORDER WOULD BE FOLLOWED. DURING FIRST NIGHT, OUR GND PERSONNEL, TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD A MEETING WITH THE ARPT PERSONNEL AND THAT IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT WHEN WE CALLED FOR PUSHBACK THAT WE WOULD BE PUSHING BACK ONTO RWY 35 BECAUSE PARALLEL TXWY WAS TO NARROW FOR ACFT. FIRST NIGHT OPERATION WENT OK AS PLANNED. ON SECOND NIGHT, 9/FRI/88, THE SAME OPERATION WAS PLANNED AS THE NIGHT BEFORE HOWEVER I WAS OPERATING WITH A DIFFERENT F/O. WHEN IT BECAME TIME TO PUSHBACK I INSTRUCTED HIM TO CALL GND AND REQUEST A PUSHBACK CLRNC. DURING THE TIME WHILE HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH GND CTL, I WAS CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE BY OUR GND PERSONNEL. THEREFORE I MISSED MOST OF THE GND CTLRS INSTRUCTIONS AND ALL I HEARD WAS 'CALL READY TO TAXI.' I ASKED MY F/O WHAT GND HAD SAID AND HE SAID GND SAID, 'CLR TO PUSHBACK AND CALL READY TO TAXI.' AT THE FINISH OF PUSHBACK WE CALLED GND CTL READY FOR TAXI. AT THAT POINT GND QUESTIONED OUR POS AND SAID THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT HE HAD CLRED US TO PUSH ONTO A RWY. AT THAT POINT HE CLRED US TO TAXI AND NOTHING FURTHER WAS SAID. I NOTIFIED THE COMPANY AND THE CHIEF PLT CALLED THE TWR THAT MORNING. THE CHIEF PLT CALLED ME AND SAID THAT THERE WAS A COM BREAKDOWN SOMEWHERE AND THAT THE PROB WAS BEING ADDRESSED. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE GND CTLR HAD BEEN OFF DUTY PRIOR TO THAT NIGHT(S) AND WAS NOT INFORMED AS TO OUR PUSHBACK PROC OR REQUIREMENTS. AT THIS TIME THE TWR SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT PLANNING TO TAKE ANY ACTION.

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.