Date: 202105
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: DFW.Airport, TX
Weather elements / visibility: Rain
Light: Night
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Ramp DFW
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Human factors: Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Taxi
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Airport
Primary problem: Airport

Narrative: During walk around; a ground crew man informed the Captain of need to push prior to darkness as ground crews have difficulty seeing. Pushback happened after dark due to weather delays. Initially; the tug driver wanted to drop the airplane with a minimal push which would have resulted in a max pivot turn. We felt we were unable to have wingtip to wingtip and/or tail to tail clearance so we asked the tug driver to pull us out further telling him it was too tight. He complied. The right wing walker seemed confused as he walked in front of the engine and not at the right wing-tip; the closest point of potential impact. Walking in front on an engine had no value to us as an aircrew. Once we were released from the tug; taxiing was extremely difficult due to several factors. These were narrow alleyway; very poorly unlit alleyway; at least 1 heavy jet parked on low D gates; construction on the south side of the alley way; no hazard O4 lighting for the construction fence; ramp and construction vehicles parked outside the fence on the ramp; and poor surface markings. Taxiing out was extremely slow and challenging and we notified an inbound aircraft to be careful. Poor visibility due to rain and the glare from wet added or exacerbated the taxi out difficulty. Poorly lit area; poorly marked area; new operational area; construction. Our first warning came from the ground crew when they express difficulty with completing the pushback after dark. If not for the interior lights of the terminal; I feel we would have struck the aircraft parked at gate. Our second clue was the attempted drop spot which showed us the degree of difficulty these crews were operating in. Better training for wing walkers. Better lighting in this area. Better surface markings to assure wingtip clearance in this area. Hazard lights on construction fence. Removal of all equipment and vehicles on ramp parked up against the fence. Reevaluation reflective paint stripe/J line coming from this alley. Until at least some items are addressed; all night operations should be towed to the top of the alley with lighted vehicles to protect rampers and cover far distance as wing walkers. I feel this is an aircraft damage event waiting to happen; even without the low light low visibility conditions.




Synopsis: Air carrier Captain reported ramp hazard of push crew; poor lighting; ground markings; and construction equipment.