Large Transport
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 188; Flight Crew Type 4700
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Procedure; Human Factors
We were cleared to push back from the gate at BWI 'at your discretion; caution for aircraft pushing from [nearby gate;] expect Runway 28.' The Captain relayed these instructions to the pushback crew and the pushback crew decided to push us to our left; tail west; away from [the other aircraft.] The aircraft was pushing into the alley.During our push; Ground told us to push back far enough to allow another taxiing aircraft to pass from our right. We did and continued to push deep tail west onto [the taxiway.] As the pushback crew was disconnecting; Ground Control commented to us that they had recently noticed a lot of pushes onto the (movement area) and that a clearance to push 'at your discretion' meant to push into the alley (non-movement area) not onto taxiway.The Ground Controller specifically stated she realized we do not have much control over how our pushback crew pushes us and that BWI Ground Control had been seeing several similar types of pushes into the movement area like this. She asked that we relay this problem to our ramp personnel and to not do this in the future.
We were given permission to push from gate; without any special instructions. The tug driver pushed us onto the taxiway to our left. After doing so; the Ground Controller mentioned that the clearance meant that we were to push into the alleyway and not onto [the taxiway]; and that they had been seeing that happen a lot. The Jeppesen 10-7 page only mentions that pushes from the gate should just not block the taxiway.
Air carrier flight crew reported being told to push back at their discretion. Crew pushed aircraft on to active taxiway. After calling ready ATC advised crew they should have pushed into the alley; not on the taxiway.