Flight crew of mlt taxied on taxiway allegedly restricted to light aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	140284
Time
Date	199003
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gsp
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hwd
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	140284
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	140104
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Ground controller cleared us to taxi to runway 21 from gate. No other instructions were included in taxi clearance. We proceeded toward the runway on taxiway B. Ground controller told us to stop when we were approximately 100 yds down the taxiway. He told us that we were on a restr taxiway and then displayed his lack of aeronautical knowledge by asking if we could 'back out of there.' after a short delay he told us to continue down taxiway B and proceed to the runway. He said at that point that he had told us to turn left on taxiway I. He had not given us that instruction. He said that there was a sign. We did not see any sign, but we may have missed one because of the moderate rain at the time. When we went past taxiway I the controller was giving a clearance (route clearance) to another air carrier. I think that the controller meant to tell us to turn, but did not due to his workload. He seemed to be alone in the facility as he was working ground, clrncs, tower and departure control. The airport diagram on the back of chart 11-1 for the greer, sc airport dated 9/23/88 does not show any restriction on that taxiway. Company NOTAMS for that date (3/17/90) did not show any taxiway restrictions. Proper staffing of the tower would have prevented this occurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLT TAXIED ON TXWY ALLEGEDLY RESTRICTED TO LIGHT ACFT.

Narrative: GND CTLR CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 21 FROM GATE. NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS WERE INCLUDED IN TAXI CLRNC. WE PROCEEDED TOWARD THE RWY ON TXWY B. GND CTLR TOLD US TO STOP WHEN WE WERE APPROX 100 YDS DOWN THE TXWY. HE TOLD US THAT WE WERE ON A RESTR TXWY AND THEN DISPLAYED HIS LACK OF AERONAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE BY ASKING IF WE COULD 'BACK OUT OF THERE.' AFTER A SHORT DELAY HE TOLD US TO CONTINUE DOWN TXWY B AND PROCEED TO THE RWY. HE SAID AT THAT POINT THAT HE HAD TOLD US TO TURN LEFT ON TXWY I. HE HAD NOT GIVEN US THAT INSTRUCTION. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A SIGN. WE DID NOT SEE ANY SIGN, BUT WE MAY HAVE MISSED ONE BECAUSE OF THE MODERATE RAIN AT THE TIME. WHEN WE WENT PAST TXWY I THE CTLR WAS GIVING A CLRNC (RTE CLRNC) TO ANOTHER ACR. I THINK THAT THE CTLR MEANT TO TELL US TO TURN, BUT DID NOT DUE TO HIS WORKLOAD. HE SEEMED TO BE ALONE IN THE FAC AS HE WAS WORKING GND, CLRNCS, TWR AND DEP CTL. THE ARPT DIAGRAM ON THE BACK OF CHART 11-1 FOR THE GREER, SC ARPT DATED 9/23/88 DOES NOT SHOW ANY RESTRICTION ON THAT TXWY. COMPANY NOTAMS FOR THAT DATE (3/17/90) DID NOT SHOW ANY TXWY RESTRICTIONS. PROPER STAFFING OF THE TWR WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.