NEAR GND CONFLICT BTWN THE TUG AND THE PUSHED BACK MD80 AFTER THERE IS A MISCOM BTWN THE TUG DRIVER TRAINEE AND THE PIC FOR A PULL BACK IN TO THE GATE AT SAT; TX.

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I AM WRITING THIS UP AS A SAFETY AND TRAINING ISSUE. DURING A PUSH-OUT AT SAT; THE L ENG GENERATOR KICKED OFF-LINE. I HAD ALREADY TOLD THE TRAINEE DOING THE PUSHBACK TO DISCONNECT THE ACFT FROM THE TUG. THIS NORMALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE END OF THE PUSH-OUT AND SHE HAD DONE A GREAT JOB. I TOLD HER NOT TO DISCONNECT THE HEADSET BECAUSE WE JUST HAD A PROB WITH THE ACFT AND THAT SHE MAY HAVE TO TOW US BACK TO THE GATE. AFTER TALKING WITH MAINT; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE NEEDED TO GO BACK TO THE GATE. THE TUG DRIVER AGAIN ASKED TO DISCONNECT THE HEADSET AND I SAID NO AND THAT WE NEEDED TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. I COULD SEE THAT THE PUSH CREW WAS PUTTING THE TUG INTO REVERSE. KNOWING THAT MOVEMENT WAS IMMINENT; I TRIED BUT WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM. BELIEVING THAT I WAS CONNECTED TO THE TUG AND FEARING DAMAGE TO THE ACFT; I RELEASED THE BRAKES. BOTH THE TUG AND THE ACFT STARTED TO MOVE. WITH OUR ENGS STILL RUNNING; WE WERE AT FIRST PERFECTLY MATCHED IN SPD WITH THE TUG AND IT APPEARED THAT WE WERE BEING TOWED. WITHIN SECONDS; WE NOTICED A CLOSURE RATE BTWN THE ACFT AND THE TUG. AT JUST THAT MOMENT; THE TUG INSTRUCTOR SIGNALED US TO STOP THE ACFT. I APPLIED THE BRAKES. OTHER THAN A FIRM APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES; NO HARM WAS DONE. MY SUGGESTION IS TO HAVE BOTH TRAINEE AND INSTRUCTOR ON HEADSET ABLE TO TALK AND LISTEN AT THE SAME TIME. CURRENTLY; WE TALK TO THE TRAINEES AND THEY REPEAT IT TO THE INSTRUCTOR AND THEN THE INSTRUCTOR TALKS BACK TO THE TRAINEE EXPLAINING THINGS. FOR A TRAINEE; LISTENING TO ME ON HEADSET AND AN INSTRUCTOR NOT ON HEADSET AT THE SAME TIME; WHILE PUSHING OUT A 130000 LB ACFT FOR THE FIRST TIME; IS PROBABLY A FULL TIME JOB. TO THEN THROW IN AN ABNORMAL SIT; IT MIGHT BE A BIT MUCH FOR A TRAINEE. IN FUTURE SITS; I THINK WHEN THE EVENT TURNS INTO SOMETHING OTHER THAN ROUTINE; I WILL ASK TO SPEAK TO THE INSTRUCTOR AND POSSIBLY TERMINATE THE TRAINING.