Date: 201908
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: FAT.Airport, CA
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: Medium Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
Airspace: Class C FAT
ATC / advisory: Ground FAT
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Anomaly: Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Taxi
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Airport; Company Policy; Procedure; Human Factors
Primary problem: Procedure

Narrative: Ground Control cleared us to enter the ramp from the active taxiway. After we turned into the ramp we continued and saw that a B737 was just starting to be pushed by a tug from the far end of the ramp. We had already entered the ramp and we were past the point where our aircraft could be turned around. The crew in the tug kept pushing the other aircraft toward our aircraft. The Captain wondered if the crew was going to stop their push or continue to push the aircraft into us. We were close to our parking spot and the other aircraft was much further away. The Captain moved slightly to the right to avoid the towed aircraft in case they did continue. This was the safest option as it allowed us to be out of the way of the towed aircraft; be seen by the towed aircraft better or reach our gate and not be under threat of the aircraft being pushed into us. The push crew of the B737 appeared to want to push past the location where we had entered the ramp. There was no communication with the push crew on Ground or Operations frequency which also added to the lack of situational awareness. The Tower cannot see this part of the airport and can clear aircraft in or out of the ramp when there may not be room for more than one aircraft at the time. None of the push crew seemed to be concerned by the fact that another aircraft was being pushed directly at our nose. Do not allow push crews to continue without any communication to other aircraft on the ramp. Make sure that when the layout of a ramp is long and skinny that no aircraft from the far end are pushed when it is not clear to push them all the way to the location they are trying to reach without communication with anyone else. If there is ever any doubt when pushing a towed empty aircraft toward the nose of another aircraft with no communication on the part of the tow crew; the tow crew should stop moving. This threat could have been fully avoided by the tow crew not continuing toward the nose of another aircraft that is unable to back up or turn around.


Second narrative: After we were cleared into the gate and alleyway; a 737 reposition from customs to a jet bridge; with possible English comprehension difficulties and unaware rampers; was being pushed back toward us and did not appear to be stopping even with our aircraft clearly there with nowhere to go. After flashing the taxi light with no apparent understanding of what was happening; they continued.Aircraft being moved a short distance usually don't call and they are not able to be seen by ground control. The 737 with no help from their ramp and marshallers was being pushed back into us even after we stopped to assess what their plan might be and flashed lights; seemingly like it was not going to stop for any reason. I moved the aircraft to the right and out of the way of that aircraft that was being moved very haphazardly without concern for what was happening on the ramp. Clearances for push should be obtained from ground for larger aircraft that need the entire ramp on that side. Ground Control needs a camera or some other way to visually see what's happening as well. They had already cleared us into the gate. Reposition crews as well as rampers need to make pushback crews aware of possible incursion paths and stop them accordingly.


Synopsis: First Officer reported lack of communication between with a pushback crew; resulting in a critical ground conflict.