Question: Why don't airliners "power back" from the gate? A captain told me they discontinued this for safety reasons, i.e., pilots couldn't see behind the plane and the brakes only stopped forward motion. He said it cost more in labor and equipment to push back but safety (rightly) took priority. Now that rearview cameras are standard equipment on economy cars, it seems like pilots should be able to see behind the plane and power back. – John Clymer, Burke, Virginia

Answer: In the 1980s, airliners with aft-mounted engines (e.g., DC-9, MD-80 and B727) used powerback in an effort to reduce the number of ground personnel required. Today, most large airliners have underwing-mounted engines; they are too close to the ground and have a potential to ingest debris during a powerback.

Your comment about the brakes is not accurate. They will stop the main wheels in either direction; however, applying the brakes when backing up has the potential to stand the airplane on its tail.

Powerback has safety risks; only a few aft-mounted engine jets could do it. I do not know of any airline using that procedure today.