Narrative:

Taxiing into alley on southwest cargo ramp attempted to contact ramp controller on designated frequency for clearance to continue to gate -- no response. Continued taxi to gate as non event. Upon arrival, I was informed by an employee possessing hand-held radio, that I had violated taxi protocol and he would be writing letter directly to FAA because I had failed to contact him (he was ramp control). I suspect perhaps wrong frequency selection or failure to FLIP transmit selector switch. Also possible controller simply did not respond. My take: heavy aircraft entering and exiting congested area should not be controled by a $6/hour employee running around with a hand-held radio. What can be done to prevent recurrence: all crew members should confirm selection of proper frequency as well as physical selection of transmit select switch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING DC10 CARGO INTO ORD RPTS DIFFICULTY WITH GA RAMP COORDINATOR.

Narrative: TAXIING INTO ALLEY ON SW CARGO RAMP ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT RAMP CTLR ON DESIGNATED FREQ FOR CLRNC TO CONTINUE TO GATE -- NO RESPONSE. CONTINUED TAXI TO GATE AS NON EVENT. UPON ARR, I WAS INFORMED BY AN EMPLOYEE POSSESSING HAND-HELD RADIO, THAT I HAD VIOLATED TAXI PROTOCOL AND HE WOULD BE WRITING LETTER DIRECTLY TO FAA BECAUSE I HAD FAILED TO CONTACT HIM (HE WAS RAMP CTL). I SUSPECT PERHAPS WRONG FREQ SELECTION OR FAILURE TO FLIP XMIT SELECTOR SWITCH. ALSO POSSIBLE CTLR SIMPLY DID NOT RESPOND. MY TAKE: HVY ACFT ENTERING AND EXITING CONGESTED AREA SHOULD NOT BE CTLED BY A $6/HR EMPLOYEE RUNNING AROUND WITH A HAND-HELD RADIO. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT RECURRENCE: ALL CREW MEMBERS SHOULD CONFIRM SELECTION OF PROPER FREQ AS WELL AS PHYSICAL SELECTION OF XMIT SELECT SWITCH.

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.