Narrative:

After landing, at night, on runway 26R in atl, we exited the high speed turn off. Just past the clear of runway mark on the high speed exit, the B737 that had just landed ahead of us was stopped, blocking our exit from the runway. He was waiting on taxi instructions from tower, but unable to talk due to congestion on the frequency. We managed to break in on frequency asking tower to tell the B737 to pull up, so we could clear the runway, as there was landing traffic close behind. Atl tower had the B737 and our aircraft hold short of runway 26L. Next tower cleared the B737 and us (behind the B737), to cross runway 26L, traffic holding in position on runway 26L for takeoff. The B737 crossed runway 26L, again, stopping immediately once clear of runway 26L to contact ground, thus blocking our clearing runway 26L behind him. Tower then cleared the aircraft in position on runway 26L for takeoff, not realizing we were unable to completely clear the runway! This was an extremely hazardous situation. We sat there blocked on the runway 26L behind the B737, unable to break in on ground frequency and unable to move, at night, with takeoff traffic bearing down on us. I believe the B737 was stopping until further instructions could be received each time as per the letter of the airman's information manual which states 'you must stop after clearing a runway and contact ground before proceeding.' this sets up an extremely hazardous situation at high density traffic with very congested frequencys and closely spaced traffic behind. The only reason this has not been more of a problem in the past, is that most situationally aware pilots, realize they must continue to taxi so as not to block following, closely spaced aircraft, the aim instruction not withstanding. The aim must be revised to state 'after clearing a runway, proceed with caution, yield to all aircraft, and contact ground control as soon as possible.' because ground and tower frequencys are often busy at high density traffic airports, stopping immediately after clearing a runway until radio contact is made is extremely dangerous and impractical. This change to the aim needs to be made in a timely manner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 LANDED RWY 26R AND TURNED OFF ON HIGH SPD TXWY BEHIND A B737 AND HAD TO HAVE TWR TELL THE B737 TO MOVE UP SO THE MD88 WOULD BE CLR OF THE RWY. LATER ON XING THE PARALLEL RWY THE B737 AGAIN STOPPED SHORT AND THE MD88 FLC WAS AFRAID THEY WERE AGAIN PROTRUDING INTO THE RWY. RPTR WANTS RULES CHANGED.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG, AT NIGHT, ON RWY 26R IN ATL, WE EXITED THE HIGH SPD TURN OFF. JUST PAST THE CLR OF RWY MARK ON THE HIGH SPD EXIT, THE B737 THAT HAD JUST LANDED AHEAD OF US WAS STOPPED, BLOCKING OUR EXIT FROM THE RWY. HE WAS WAITING ON TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR, BUT UNABLE TO TALK DUE TO CONGESTION ON THE FREQ. WE MANAGED TO BREAK IN ON FREQ ASKING TWR TO TELL THE B737 TO PULL UP, SO WE COULD CLR THE RWY, AS THERE WAS LNDG TFC CLOSE BEHIND. ATL TWR HAD THE B737 AND OUR ACFT HOLD SHORT OF RWY 26L. NEXT TWR CLRED THE B737 AND US (BEHIND THE B737), TO CROSS RWY 26L, TFC HOLDING IN POS ON RWY 26L FOR TKOF. THE B737 CROSSED RWY 26L, AGAIN, STOPPING IMMEDIATELY ONCE CLR OF RWY 26L TO CONTACT GND, THUS BLOCKING OUR CLRING RWY 26L BEHIND HIM. TWR THEN CLRED THE ACFT IN POS ON RWY 26L FOR TKOF, NOT REALIZING WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETELY CLR THE RWY! THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SIT. WE SAT THERE BLOCKED ON THE RWY 26L BEHIND THE B737, UNABLE TO BREAK IN ON GND FREQ AND UNABLE TO MOVE, AT NIGHT, WITH TKOF TFC BEARING DOWN ON US. I BELIEVE THE B737 WAS STOPPING UNTIL FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS COULD BE RECEIVED EACH TIME AS PER THE LETTER OF THE AIRMAN'S INFO MANUAL WHICH STATES 'YOU MUST STOP AFTER CLRING A RWY AND CONTACT GND BEFORE PROCEEDING.' THIS SETS UP AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SIT AT HIGH DENSITY TFC WITH VERY CONGESTED FREQS AND CLOSELY SPACED TFC BEHIND. THE ONLY REASON THIS HAS NOT BEEN MORE OF A PROB IN THE PAST, IS THAT MOST SITUATIONALLY AWARE PLTS, REALIZE THEY MUST CONTINUE TO TAXI SO AS NOT TO BLOCK FOLLOWING, CLOSELY SPACED ACFT, THE AIM INSTRUCTION NOT WITHSTANDING. THE AIM MUST BE REVISED TO STATE 'AFTER CLRING A RWY, PROCEED WITH CAUTION, YIELD TO ALL ACFT, AND CONTACT GND CTL ASAP.' BECAUSE GND AND TWR FREQS ARE OFTEN BUSY AT HIGH DENSITY TFC ARPTS, STOPPING IMMEDIATELY AFTER CLRING A RWY UNTIL RADIO CONTACT IS MADE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IMPRACTICAL. THIS CHANGE TO THE AIM NEEDS TO BE MADE IN A TIMELY MANNER.

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.