Originally Posted by
deputter
I was a seasoned traveler since age 14 when I went with my class to Europe for the summer. It wasn't until about age 28, while watching flights leave at the airport (I was headed to NYC for New Years) that I saw a plane being "pushed back". I was amazed because I always thought the pilot put the plane in reverse to do that. I'm more knowledgeable now - I actually belong to an aviation historical group :-).
On planes with reverse thrust, self pushback is possible, although not common at most airports, as it tends to kick up a lot of dirt and debris. Also, planes with low wing mounted engines are more likely to suck some of that back into the engine, so it is mainly used on fuselage mounted engine planes.
See this video for an example.
The
crash of Air Florida flight 90 was partially attributed to the pilots attempt to use a reverse thrust pushback in a 737 in snowy conditions, causing snow and ice to be sucked back into the engine.