Gate change and tow in procedures cause confusion for airline reporter.

Attributes
ACN	478170
Time
Date	200007
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	478170
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

While entering the ramp our gate was changed from xx to yy. The ramp controller advised us that it was a tow-in gate. I missed the part in the field report where this was indicated. We also received an ACARS message regarding the gate change. The ACARS message did not indicate a tow in. When we approached the gate the ground crew was set up for a taxi in. The first officer checked the commercial chart pages which indicated a taxi in so we continued. While completing the taxi in the ramp advised us again that it was a tow in gate since the ramp crew was set up for taxi, the ACARS did not indicate tow in and the commercial chart page showed taxi in, I thought the ramp tower controller was just mixing up xx and yy. This kind of change should be in the briefing messages far before a message asking us to advise the cabin attendants whether the aircraft has the new seating confign or not. When I tell them, they go 'duh' and point to the placard by the front entry. Please put items such as this gate approach change in the briefing messages where they are more noticeable than at the end of one line of many lines in the field report.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GATE CHANGE AND TOW IN PROCS CAUSE CONFUSION FOR AIRLINE RPTR.

Narrative: WHILE ENTERING THE RAMP OUR GATE WAS CHANGED FROM XX TO YY. THE RAMP CTLR ADVISED US THAT IT WAS A TOW-IN GATE. I MISSED THE PART IN THE FIELD RPT WHERE THIS WAS INDICATED. WE ALSO RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE REGARDING THE GATE CHANGE. THE ACARS MESSAGE DID NOT INDICATE A TOW IN. WHEN WE APCHED THE GATE THE GND CREW WAS SET UP FOR A TAXI IN. THE FO CHKED THE COMMERCIAL CHART PAGES WHICH INDICATED A TAXI IN SO WE CONTINUED. WHILE COMPLETING THE TAXI IN THE RAMP ADVISED US AGAIN THAT IT WAS A TOW IN GATE SINCE THE RAMP CREW WAS SET UP FOR TAXI, THE ACARS DID NOT INDICATE TOW IN AND THE COMMERCIAL CHART PAGE SHOWED TAXI IN, I THOUGHT THE RAMP TWR CTLR WAS JUST MIXING UP XX AND YY. THIS KIND OF CHANGE SHOULD BE IN THE BRIEFING MESSAGES FAR BEFORE A MESSAGE ASKING US TO ADVISE THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WHETHER THE ACFT HAS THE NEW SEATING CONFIGN OR NOT. WHEN I TELL THEM, THEY GO 'DUH' AND POINT TO THE PLACARD BY THE FRONT ENTRY. PLEASE PUT ITEMS SUCH AS THIS GATE APCH CHANGE IN THE BRIEFING MESSAGES WHERE THEY ARE MORE NOTICEABLE THAN AT THE END OF ONE LINE OF MANY LINES IN THE FIELD RPT.

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.