Flight crew pwred into gate that flight crew should have been towed into.

Attributes
ACN	320961
Time
Date	199511
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mex
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	320961
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	320960
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After landing runway 05R mex, was instructed to back-taxi runway 05L and exit to ramp. Was advised E2 was closed, so I must use B7. After exiting on B7, ground control asked what gate and we had just received gate xb assigned. We advised ground and ground cleared us to taxi to gate xb, but do not use taxiway B between B7 and E2 because it was closed. We saw closed markers and angled left to taxiway C. As we were turning left, we were past gate xa when ground asked us if we saw our people. We saw air carrier vehicles, the people movers, and ground personnel with wands guiding us in. Ground advised us to taxi straight ahead to xb. Air carrier ground personnel with wands on both sides of the aircraft guided us in to xb with no problems. Apparently air carrier wanted us to be towed to gate xb from xa. We saw our people and taxi directors at xb and proceeded with their direction not intending to taxi when they wanted us to be towed. We were following ground control's directions by taxiing to gate xb.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC PWRED INTO GATE THAT FLC SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOWED INTO.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG RWY 05R MEX, WAS INSTRUCTED TO BACK-TAXI RWY 05L AND EXIT TO RAMP. WAS ADVISED E2 WAS CLOSED, SO I MUST USE B7. AFTER EXITING ON B7, GND CTL ASKED WHAT GATE AND WE HAD JUST RECEIVED GATE XB ASSIGNED. WE ADVISED GND AND GND CLRED US TO TAXI TO GATE XB, BUT DO NOT USE TXWY B BTWN B7 AND E2 BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSED. WE SAW CLOSED MARKERS AND ANGLED L TO TXWY C. AS WE WERE TURNING L, WE WERE PAST GATE XA WHEN GND ASKED US IF WE SAW OUR PEOPLE. WE SAW ACR VEHICLES, THE PEOPLE MOVERS, AND GND PERSONNEL WITH WANDS GUIDING US IN. GND ADVISED US TO TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD TO XB. ACR GND PERSONNEL WITH WANDS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT GUIDED US IN TO XB WITH NO PROBS. APPARENTLY ACR WANTED US TO BE TOWED TO GATE XB FROM XA. WE SAW OUR PEOPLE AND TAXI DIRECTORS AT XB AND PROCEEDED WITH THEIR DIRECTION NOT INTENDING TO TAXI WHEN THEY WANTED US TO BE TOWED. WE WERE FOLLOWING GND CTL'S DIRECTIONS BY TAXIING TO GATE XB.

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.