Narrative:

Ground cleared our flight to taxi from gate to runway 30L via taxiway C and told us to monitor ground on 121.9 passing taxiway C6. As we turned away from the gate and onto taxiway C6 south of taxiway C, an aircraft was observed stationary on taxiway C6 north of taxiway C. To clarify the taxi route, we called ground on 121.9 and advised that we intended to join taxiway C at taxiway C6 and continue to runway 30L. ATC had no objections and requested that we expedite our taxi to accommodate a lifeguard flight following behind us. So, we expedite onto taxiway C and continued to the southwest until making a left turn onto taxiway a. As we turned onto taxiway a, an aircraft that had landed on runway 30L attempted to exit the runway by turning right onto taxiway D. We both arrived at the D/a intersection almost simultaneously. Our flight turned slightly left from the yellow taxi stripe to give the exiting aircraft more room to clear his tail off/past the yellow hold short lines for runway 30L. He, however, stopped and told ground that he was unable to continue forward and clear completely because there was an rj in front of him. Ground told him to continue forward because even with an aircraft on taxiway a he should have enough room to taxi forward and clear the runway. Meanwhile, another aircraft departed runway 30L before the clearing aircraft pulled further forward. We rejoined the yellow taxi stripe and continued to runway 30L via taxiway a. Ground never complained to us about our route or actions. It appears that better coordination between north/south ground and the local controller for runway 30L could have prevented this situation. And I wonder if it is prudent to clear an aircraft for takeoff before the preceding aircraft has actually cleared the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A CL65 RJ REGIONAL JET STOPPED ON TXWY TO PERMIT ANOTHER ACFT TURNING OFF RWY, ONTO THEIR TXWY, TO HAVE ROOM TO CLR THE RWY. HOWEVER, THE OTHER ACFT STOPPED WITH TAIL ON RWY AND TWR CLRED ANOTHER ACFT TO TAKE OFF.

Narrative: GND CLRED OUR FLT TO TAXI FROM GATE TO RWY 30L VIA TXWY C AND TOLD US TO MONITOR GND ON 121.9 PASSING TXWY C6. AS WE TURNED AWAY FROM THE GATE AND ONTO TXWY C6 S OF TXWY C, AN ACFT WAS OBSERVED STATIONARY ON TXWY C6 N OF TXWY C. TO CLARIFY THE TAXI RTE, WE CALLED GND ON 121.9 AND ADVISED THAT WE INTENDED TO JOIN TXWY C AT TXWY C6 AND CONTINUE TO RWY 30L. ATC HAD NO OBJECTIONS AND REQUESTED THAT WE EXPEDITE OUR TAXI TO ACCOMMODATE A LIFEGUARD FLT FOLLOWING BEHIND US. SO, WE EXPEDITE ONTO TXWY C AND CONTINUED TO THE SW UNTIL MAKING A L TURN ONTO TXWY A. AS WE TURNED ONTO TXWY A, AN ACFT THAT HAD LANDED ON RWY 30L ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE RWY BY TURNING R ONTO TXWY D. WE BOTH ARRIVED AT THE D/A INTXN ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY. OUR FLT TURNED SLIGHTLY L FROM THE YELLOW TAXI STRIPE TO GIVE THE EXITING ACFT MORE ROOM TO CLR HIS TAIL OFF/PAST THE YELLOW HOLD SHORT LINES FOR RWY 30L. HE, HOWEVER, STOPPED AND TOLD GND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE FORWARD AND CLR COMPLETELY BECAUSE THERE WAS AN RJ IN FRONT OF HIM. GND TOLD HIM TO CONTINUE FORWARD BECAUSE EVEN WITH AN ACFT ON TXWY A HE SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO TAXI FORWARD AND CLR THE RWY. MEANWHILE, ANOTHER ACFT DEPARTED RWY 30L BEFORE THE CLRING ACFT PULLED FURTHER FORWARD. WE REJOINED THE YELLOW TAXI STRIPE AND CONTINUED TO RWY 30L VIA TXWY A. GND NEVER COMPLAINED TO US ABOUT OUR RTE OR ACTIONS. IT APPEARS THAT BETTER COORD BTWN N/S GND AND THE LCL CTLR FOR RWY 30L COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SIT. AND I WONDER IF IT IS PRUDENT TO CLR AN ACFT FOR TKOF BEFORE THE PRECEDING ACFT HAS ACTUALLY CLRED THE RWY.

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.