2 B747 aircraft would have collided if air carrier Y had followed tower taxi instructions.

Attributes
ACN	464609
Time
Date	200002
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	464609
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

After landing at sfo, tower controller said that an air carrier Y B747 would be coming out of the apron area. The airplane was in air carrier Z paint scheme. Air carrier Y was taking off on the same runway we landed, but in opposite direction. The tower controller had us on tower frequency and air carrier Y on ground frequency. Tower told air carrier Y to continue taxiing past our aircraft (we were stopped). She said 'it looks like you will clear air carrier X from here.' tower was 1 mi away. The air carrier Y crew was going to continue to taxi, when it was obvious that its wing would strike our nose. We told him to stop. Air carrier Y asked us to watch his wing. We refused. He stopped. We asked them to shut down their #3 and #4 engines so that a tug could push us back. All engines on our aircraft were shut down. The tower twice told air carrier Y to continue -- that 'it looked good from here.' we were towed to the gate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 B747 ACFT WOULD HAVE COLLIDED IF ACR Y HAD FOLLOWED TWR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT SFO, TWR CTLR SAID THAT AN ACR Y B747 WOULD BE COMING OUT OF THE APRON AREA. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN ACR Z PAINT SCHEME. ACR Y WAS TAKING OFF ON THE SAME RWY WE LANDED, BUT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE TWR CTLR HAD US ON TWR FREQ AND ACR Y ON GND FREQ. TWR TOLD ACR Y TO CONTINUE TAXIING PAST OUR ACFT (WE WERE STOPPED). SHE SAID 'IT LOOKS LIKE YOU WILL CLR ACR X FROM HERE.' TWR WAS 1 MI AWAY. THE ACR Y CREW WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TO TAXI, WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT ITS WING WOULD STRIKE OUR NOSE. WE TOLD HIM TO STOP. ACR Y ASKED US TO WATCH HIS WING. WE REFUSED. HE STOPPED. WE ASKED THEM TO SHUT DOWN THEIR #3 AND #4 ENGS SO THAT A TUG COULD PUSH US BACK. ALL ENGS ON OUR ACFT WERE SHUT DOWN. THE TWR TWICE TOLD ACR Y TO CONTINUE -- THAT 'IT LOOKED GOOD FROM HERE.' WE WERE TOWED TO THE GATE.

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.