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Congestion on ground control frequency. Unable contact. Slow taxi to clear high speed and not block taxiway.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 173324 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199103 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bwi |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| 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 : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 173324 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 173690 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
After clearing runway 33L, we were unable to contact ground control due to frequency congestion. Noting that the ramp area ahead was clear, the captain continued to taxi slowly, while we futilely tried to get on frequency. We were approximately abeam concourse C before we finally contacted ground and were then told to stop. After speaking to several other flts, the controller then cleared us to the gate. Total time was 2-4 mins. Taxiing inbound west/O first receiving a clearance is not at all unusual at frequency congested airports. In similar situations at bwi and elsewhere, if the frequency is blocked and a customary taxi route is known and clear of traffic, nearly al capts I have observed would proceed slowly, as we did. We progressed farther than most only because the frequency was congested longer, in part because the controller would not unkey his microphone while making multiple xmissions. Bwi needs a second ground control frequency and ground controller, so flts are able to do what they are supposed to--contact the controller. Ramp control could donate one of their frequencys.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CONGESTION ON GND CTL FREQ. UNABLE CONTACT. SLOW TAXI TO CLEAR HIGH SPEED AND NOT BLOCK TXWY.
Narrative: AFTER CLRING RWY 33L, WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT GND CTL DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. NOTING THAT THE RAMP AREA AHEAD WAS CLR, THE CAPT CONTINUED TO TAXI SLOWLY, WHILE WE FUTILELY TRIED TO GET ON FREQ. WE WERE APPROX ABEAM CONCOURSE C BEFORE WE FINALLY CONTACTED GND AND WERE THEN TOLD TO STOP. AFTER SPEAKING TO SEVERAL OTHER FLTS, THE CTLR THEN CLRED US TO THE GATE. TOTAL TIME WAS 2-4 MINS. TAXIING INBND W/O FIRST RECEIVING A CLRNC IS NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL AT FREQ CONGESTED ARPTS. IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS AT BWI AND ELSEWHERE, IF THE FREQ IS BLOCKED AND A CUSTOMARY TAXI RTE IS KNOWN AND CLR OF TFC, NEARLY AL CAPTS I HAVE OBSERVED WOULD PROCEED SLOWLY, AS WE DID. WE PROGRESSED FARTHER THAN MOST ONLY BECAUSE THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED LONGER, IN PART BECAUSE THE CTLR WOULD NOT UNKEY HIS MIC WHILE MAKING MULTIPLE XMISSIONS. BWI NEEDS A SECOND GND CTL FREQ AND GND CTLR, SO FLTS ARE ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO--CONTACT THE CTLR. RAMP CTL COULD DONATE ONE OF THEIR FREQS.
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.