B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 243; Flight Crew Total 11042; Flight Crew Type 2205
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
After pushback procedures were complete; the pushback crew were released to disconnect from the aircraft. The marshaller properly stood to the right front of the aircraft with his arms down at 45 degrees and I signaled with the taxi light. He then saluted; turned and walked away. About ten seconds after that I noticed that the two men who were under the aircraft on the interphone were now standing approximately where the marshaller had been; but closer to the aircraft. They had no flashlights and were using the nose gear steering pin/flag as an indication device. The individual with the pin was standing holding the pin out for me to see. The ramp was dark; these men had no light devices; and I could have easily started taxing toward them had I not noticed them. They were improperly acting as marshallers after the aircraft was already cleared to taxi. This station has typically weak compliance with pushback procedures (the ground crew will not call the cockpit when pushback is complete; they just stand under there until the cockpit calls them. This could go on for fifteen minutes if the cockpit didn't say anything); but this was the most dangerous event I've witnessed to date.
B777 Captain reports being cleared to taxi by the pushback Marshaller before the other members of the ground crew had cleared the nose of the aircraft.