Taxiing air carrier came in close proximity to another taxiing air carrier due to confusing instruct...

Attributes
ACN	154364
Time
Date	199008
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	154364
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 10
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Upon taxiout of the ramp area, ground control issued instructions to 'taxi to runway 18 via taxiway J, hold short of runway 15.' at a point just short of entering the taxiway, ground control instructed our flight to follow air carrier Y with a sense of urgency in his voice. We stopped the aircraft abruptly to avoid a collision with air carrier Y which appeared behind our right wing blind spot. When ground control was questioned about the situation, they responded with a statement that they thought air carrier Y would follow us. The crew of air carrier Y interjected with, 'we were instructed to taxi to the runway and not to follow you, air carrier X,' in a very belligerent tone. We estimated that the 2 aircraft missed each other by less than 10' on a collision course. This was all done as a result of an apparent disregard of safety by the air carrier Y crew in an effort to taxi ahead of our flight for a better takeoff position, all out of sight of our cockpit crew. There is little room for such immature actions by airline flight crews, an obvious and dangerous game of chicken on a most crowded and busy airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING ACR CAME IN CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER TAXIING ACR DUE TO CONFUSING INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: UPON TAXIOUT OF THE RAMP AREA, GND CTL ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO 'TAXI TO RWY 18 VIA TXWY J, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 15.' AT A POINT JUST SHORT OF ENTERING THE TXWY, GND CTL INSTRUCTED OUR FLT TO FOLLOW ACR Y WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY IN HIS VOICE. WE STOPPED THE ACFT ABRUPTLY TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH ACR Y WHICH APPEARED BEHIND OUR RIGHT WING BLIND SPOT. WHEN GND CTL WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT THE SITUATION, THEY RESPONDED WITH A STATEMENT THAT THEY THOUGHT ACR Y WOULD FOLLOW US. THE CREW OF ACR Y INTERJECTED WITH, 'WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO THE RWY AND NOT TO FOLLOW YOU, ACR X,' IN A VERY BELLIGERENT TONE. WE ESTIMATED THAT THE 2 ACFT MISSED EACH OTHER BY LESS THAN 10' ON A COLLISION COURSE. THIS WAS ALL DONE AS A RESULT OF AN APPARENT DISREGARD OF SAFETY BY THE ACR Y CREW IN AN EFFORT TO TAXI AHEAD OF OUR FLT FOR A BETTER TKOF POS, ALL OUT OF SIGHT OF OUR COCKPIT CREW. THERE IS LITTLE ROOM FOR SUCH IMMATURE ACTIONS BY AIRLINE FLT CREWS, AN OBVIOUS AND DANGEROUS GAME OF CHICKEN ON A MOST CROWDED AND BUSY ARPT.

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.

Taxiing air carrier came in close proximity to another taxiing air carrier due to confusing instructions.