Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 118; Flight Crew Type 3917
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Human Factors; Staffing
Parking check complete flight deck ready and waiting for ground crew to call. First call from tug driver (male) indicated ground crew was ramp ready. I replied standby we will obtain clearance. Ramp cleared [flight] to push and disconnect at the top of the alley. I contacted the tug driver and said brakes released cleared to pushback disconnect at the top of the alley. 30 seconds expired and ramp queried as to why we were not pushing back.I attempted to call the tug driver with no response. The driver left the tug and headset with an active clearance. I attempted to call them with no contact. We cancelled the push and set the brake. The tug driver obviously was replaced by female voice. She indicated she was ramp ready. I indicated to her in the future to communicate with flight deck before you leave.She replied in an extremely hostile manner. Her words were unintelligible. When she calmed down I attempted to review with her the roles and procedures and she became hostile again. We contacted ramp to send a supervisor and a replacement driver as she was hostile. The supervisor assumed the role as lead and the tug driver position. We pushed and continued without further incident.
B-737 flight crew were ready for pushback. The pushback crew originally reported ready; pushback clearance was received; and the Captain was unable to contact the pushback crew. A different voice came on from the pushback crew and responded hostilely when reprimanded by the Captain. The Captain requested and received a replacement pushback crew.