Narrative:

We ended up taxiing in a controled area without clearance. We landed on runway 22. We were assigned gate X. There was only 1 ground controller and he was so overloaded with inbound and outbound ground traffic that he was a little flustered. With some difficulty, we got cleared txwys B, east, a, to hold short of taxiway J. After some time we were cleared to our gate but about this time we were advised by the company that gate X jetway was broken and to hold on za. We couldn't get the controller to answer so, since there was no traffic anywhere near za and we were blocking traffic behind us on taxiway a, we turned onto za and held at the end. No problem so far. He never noticed that we helped him. After a few mins we were given gate Y by the company. We only had about 50 yards to go to get from za to taxiway a to gate Y. After several calls with no response we checked traffic and moved out. There was no conflict whatsoever. Much to our surprise, when we were on taxiway a, he saw us moving and asked our identify. He then instructed us to continue to taxiway a hold short of taxiway M. We told him we were abeam our gate and just wanted to turn into it. This he allowed (amazing). The tower wanted a phone call. It makes no difference if the controller is out of control, radio calls are not answered or if you're causing grid lock, you don't move, even if it is a very short distance that would help the situation. We wouldn't want common sense to break out. The lesson has been learned. I hope I have been able to convey the feeling of frustration to you. Supplemental information from acn 406243: I called ground control numerous times to tell him we blocked behind 2 aircraft on taxiway a. He never answered us. There were too many planes being controled at the same time. Pilots would call ground control numerous times and he would not answer them. This is a major safety problem and it happens all the time. Company said we could go to gate Y and call ground. We called ground again numerous times and again he was too busy to answer us. The area from za to gate Y was clear and we began to slow taxi and again called ground. No response. Just as we were pulling into the gate, ground asked who we were. We told him who we were and he said to taxi on taxiway a and hold short of taxiway M. We told him we were parking at gate Y. He really didn't appear to know who we were. It took us 22 mins and maybe 30 radio calls to get to the gate. Ground control maybe heard only 2 or 3 of my radio calls. Callback conversation with reporter of acn 406500 revealed the following information: the controller was just making things worse for himself. The reporter has seen other airports that were as busy, but running smoothly. He described this as a 'round peg in a square hole.' he suggests additional manpower may help the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80. CREW MOVED THE LAST 50 YARDS TO THE GATE WITHOUT GND CTLR CLRNC.

Narrative: WE ENDED UP TAXIING IN A CTLED AREA WITHOUT CLRNC. WE LANDED ON RWY 22. WE WERE ASSIGNED GATE X. THERE WAS ONLY 1 GND CTLR AND HE WAS SO OVERLOADED WITH INBOUND AND OUTBOUND GND TFC THAT HE WAS A LITTLE FLUSTERED. WITH SOME DIFFICULTY, WE GOT CLRED TXWYS B, E, A, TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY J. AFTER SOME TIME WE WERE CLRED TO OUR GATE BUT ABOUT THIS TIME WE WERE ADVISED BY THE COMPANY THAT GATE X JETWAY WAS BROKEN AND TO HOLD ON ZA. WE COULDN'T GET THE CTLR TO ANSWER SO, SINCE THERE WAS NO TFC ANYWHERE NEAR ZA AND WE WERE BLOCKING TFC BEHIND US ON TXWY A, WE TURNED ONTO ZA AND HELD AT THE END. NO PROB SO FAR. HE NEVER NOTICED THAT WE HELPED HIM. AFTER A FEW MINS WE WERE GIVEN GATE Y BY THE COMPANY. WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 50 YARDS TO GO TO GET FROM ZA TO TXWY A TO GATE Y. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS WITH NO RESPONSE WE CHKED TFC AND MOVED OUT. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WHATSOEVER. MUCH TO OUR SURPRISE, WHEN WE WERE ON TXWY A, HE SAW US MOVING AND ASKED OUR IDENT. HE THEN INSTRUCTED US TO CONTINUE TO TXWY A HOLD SHORT OF TXWY M. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE ABEAM OUR GATE AND JUST WANTED TO TURN INTO IT. THIS HE ALLOWED (AMAZING). THE TWR WANTED A PHONE CALL. IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IF THE CTLR IS OUT OF CTL, RADIO CALLS ARE NOT ANSWERED OR IF YOU'RE CAUSING GRID LOCK, YOU DON'T MOVE, EVEN IF IT IS A VERY SHORT DISTANCE THAT WOULD HELP THE SIT. WE WOULDN'T WANT COMMON SENSE TO BREAK OUT. THE LESSON HAS BEEN LEARNED. I HOPE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONVEY THE FEELING OF FRUSTRATION TO YOU. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 406243: I CALLED GND CTL NUMEROUS TIMES TO TELL HIM WE BLOCKED BEHIND 2 ACFT ON TXWY A. HE NEVER ANSWERED US. THERE WERE TOO MANY PLANES BEING CTLED AT THE SAME TIME. PLTS WOULD CALL GND CTL NUMEROUS TIMES AND HE WOULD NOT ANSWER THEM. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROB AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. COMPANY SAID WE COULD GO TO GATE Y AND CALL GND. WE CALLED GND AGAIN NUMEROUS TIMES AND AGAIN HE WAS TOO BUSY TO ANSWER US. THE AREA FROM ZA TO GATE Y WAS CLR AND WE BEGAN TO SLOW TAXI AND AGAIN CALLED GND. NO RESPONSE. JUST AS WE WERE PULLING INTO THE GATE, GND ASKED WHO WE WERE. WE TOLD HIM WHO WE WERE AND HE SAID TO TAXI ON TXWY A AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY M. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE PARKING AT GATE Y. HE REALLY DIDN'T APPEAR TO KNOW WHO WE WERE. IT TOOK US 22 MINS AND MAYBE 30 RADIO CALLS TO GET TO THE GATE. GND CTL MAYBE HEARD ONLY 2 OR 3 OF MY RADIO CALLS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR OF ACN 406500 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CTLR WAS JUST MAKING THINGS WORSE FOR HIMSELF. THE RPTR HAS SEEN OTHER ARPTS THAT WERE AS BUSY, BUT RUNNING SMOOTHLY. HE DESCRIBED THIS AS A 'ROUND PEG IN A SQUARE HOLE.' HE SUGGESTS ADDITIONAL MANPOWER MAY HELP THE PROB.

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.