A320
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 149; Flight Crew Total 17000; Flight Crew Type 8000
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Person / Animal / Bird
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
Obvious lack of training on pushback could have caused serious injury or worse. Left both Captain and First Officer (FO) shaken after event.1. Pushback crew not at aircraft at time of push although buttoned up and ready to go. Possibly at aircraft but confused as to how interphone to cockpit worked.2. Obvious confusion with push back crew on equipment operation on disconnect of tug.3. Lack of proper phraseology on communication with push crew.4. After salute and release; tug crew visibly back in gate area for approximately 5 min or more; after start checklist completed; ATC taxi clearance requested; taxi clearance given; and Captain beginning to taxi; the VIGILANT FO noticed a member of the push crew between nose of right side of aircraft and running engine walking back to the terminal.5. Captain immediately stopped aircraft; called station operations to explain the dangerous situation. Operations explained it was the individual's first day on the job. I explained this is how people get killed.6. Once in flight FO called operations to reiterate our concerns and we were told they would conduct a safety investigation.
An A320 flight crew reported ground personnel's failure to observe SOP's during pushback and taxi out which almost resulted in serious injury.