B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Workload; Time Pressure; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Procedure; Human Factors
On pushback HNL ground control cleared us to push and hold short of Taxiway Z. I informed the tug driver of this; he acknowledged; and began our pushback. Within a minute; HNL ground control cleared us to continue to push onto Taxiway Z; tail west. I advised the tug driver of this. He acknowledged and advised me we were cleared to start engine 2. I directed the First Officer to start engine 2. During pushback and approaching Taxiway Z. the tug driver beginning turning aircraft tail westbound onto Taxiway Z. The FO and I; almost simultaneously caught a glimpse of a widebody aircraft off our right side on Taxiway Z. I immediately told the tug driver to watch out for the aircraft behind us. I had no immediate response from him verbally or by the slowing of the pushback so I then told him 'stop the push; stop; stop'. On the 3 stop command he stopped the pushback and said he was sorry. I observed the wing walkers; who are on tugs both behind the tug driver. The wing walker on aircraft right was watching the tug driver and not his side of the aircraft. It's hard to guess how close we came to the right wing of the widebody aircraft; but it was close in my opinion. After aircraft behind us cleared the push continued without further incident.Causes: Ground pushback crew not paying attention and in the wrong location during pushback. Ground crew training and oversight lacking. First Officer's head was semi heads down during pushback. ATC clearing us to push onto a taxiway that was not clear.
B737-800 Captain reported being pushed back onto HNL Taxiway Z noticed a widebody aircraft off their right also on Taxiway Z. The Captain commanded the push crew to stop and noticed both wing walkers were riding the tug and not paying attention to traffic.