Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Type 12000
Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Equipment / Tooling; Human Factors; Procedure; Staffing
ETOPS X day; all legs Aircraft X. Initially Day 2; transmitted ZZZ twice at Gate X. Jetbridge Gate. Checklist Pitot Tube Cover Installation/Removal Procedures; were not applied either time. That is...no covers; no notification to the crew. None. Not done. The next day; ZZZ Gate Y; the aircraft was shutdown for almost an hour. Crew went for food and drink.Returned; pre-flighted aircraft; and began the push uneventfully. There were at least three Operations people at the jetbridge observing our push. The Operations Agent; and Instructors; Managers; and no one alerted us to the pitot covers that had been attached to the aircraft while we were in the terminal.There were no streamers provided. The Captain was not notified. During the push; thankfully the alert Tug Driver asked me why there were 'streamers on the nose.' The PARKING BRAKE WAS SET. Operations was called and we asked who did what during this push and why were we not notified? And how dangerous this was. Specifically; the Checklist and Standard Procedures; Item XX (ZZZ Standard Procedures).During the pre-flight walkaround; Ground Operations will remove the pitot covers. This did not happen. Ground Operations will display all covers to the Crew. This did not happen. The Operations Agent will confirm with the Flight Deck Crew that they received visual verification the covers were removed; at which time the Operations Agent will collect the Probe Heat switch streamers. [This] did not happen. Only the alertness of the Tug Driver; daylight; helped us trap a potentially catastrophic error. When I called Operations to inquire about their process; and I mentioned the danger and seriousness of this event; the person on the radio responded as follows: 'Mr. Pilot Man; I apologize for the Inconvenience.' Inconvenience??!!
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Air carrier flight crew reported pitot covers were left installed after push back.