Narrative:

Captain is a real 'laid back' type -- easy to fly with, not demanding, but sometimes does things contrary to company SOP, with no other 'apparent' reason, other than it suits his needs at the time. This was the last 'turn' of a 4-DAY trip, a round-trip from iah to dtw. He was anxious to reach dtw and return to iah as soon as possible due to personal reasons. At iah, ramp control indicated a 'spot' number to which to go, at which the flight was xferred to iah ground control by clearance delivery, whom we called upon reaching the designated numbered spot. We completed the after start checklist, and ramp control directed us to spot. We were told to call clearance delivery at the spot for taxi. I switched frequencys, only to discover a 'full route' clearance being given to another aircraft. As we approached the spot (which indicates the beginning of aircraft movement area -- clearly the province of ground control), it became obvious that the captain had no intention of stopping. I clearly and assertively reminded him that taxi clearance had not been received, but he replied, 'don't worry about it -- I'll take the heat for it.' fortunately, no other aircraft were coming, and no conflicts occurred. I hastily called clearance delivery on the now clear frequency, and was told to 'monitor ground.' ground told us to 'taxi to runway 26 via taxiway nb,' but didn't mention the fact that we were already on the taxiway, heading for the runway. I once again reminded the captain of the ill-advised manner in which we entered the taxiway, to which he replied in the same way as before. Remainder of flight was uneventful. Although ground control didn't say anything I could tell by her tone of voice that she was perturbed and confused by the fact that we weren't where she had expected us to be. I could have applied the brakes, and brought the aircraft to a sudden stop, but decided not to for reasons of safety (flight attendants standing in aisle). Should I have 'wrestled the aircraft' away from him? I don't think so. But I'm unsure of how to handle this type of thing in the future. I'm considering going to pilot group with this one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEPARTING IAH, AN LGT CREW CONTINUED TO TAXI FROM RAMP CTL'S DESIGNATED SPOT WITHOUT CLRNC FROM GND CTL.

Narrative: CAPT IS A REAL 'LAID BACK' TYPE -- EASY TO FLY WITH, NOT DEMANDING, BUT SOMETIMES DOES THINGS CONTRARY TO COMPANY SOP, WITH NO OTHER 'APPARENT' REASON, OTHER THAN IT SUITS HIS NEEDS AT THE TIME. THIS WAS THE LAST 'TURN' OF A 4-DAY TRIP, A ROUND-TRIP FROM IAH TO DTW. HE WAS ANXIOUS TO REACH DTW AND RETURN TO IAH ASAP DUE TO PERSONAL REASONS. AT IAH, RAMP CTL INDICATED A 'SPOT' NUMBER TO WHICH TO GO, AT WHICH THE FLT WAS XFERRED TO IAH GND CTL BY CLRNC DELIVERY, WHOM WE CALLED UPON REACHING THE DESIGNATED NUMBERED SPOT. WE COMPLETED THE AFTER START CHKLIST, AND RAMP CTL DIRECTED US TO SPOT. WE WERE TOLD TO CALL CLRNC DELIVERY AT THE SPOT FOR TAXI. I SWITCHED FREQS, ONLY TO DISCOVER A 'FULL RTE' CLRNC BEING GIVEN TO ANOTHER ACFT. AS WE APCHED THE SPOT (WHICH INDICATES THE BEGINNING OF ACFT MOVEMENT AREA -- CLRLY THE PROVINCE OF GND CTL), IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE CAPT HAD NO INTENTION OF STOPPING. I CLRLY AND ASSERTIVELY REMINDED HIM THAT TAXI CLRNC HAD NOT BEEN RECEIVED, BUT HE REPLIED, 'DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT -- I'LL TAKE THE HEAT FOR IT.' FORTUNATELY, NO OTHER ACFT WERE COMING, AND NO CONFLICTS OCCURRED. I HASTILY CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY ON THE NOW CLR FREQ, AND WAS TOLD TO 'MONITOR GND.' GND TOLD US TO 'TAXI TO RWY 26 VIA TXWY NB,' BUT DIDN'T MENTION THE FACT THAT WE WERE ALREADY ON THE TXWY, HDG FOR THE RWY. I ONCE AGAIN REMINDED THE CAPT OF THE ILL-ADVISED MANNER IN WHICH WE ENTERED THE TXWY, TO WHICH HE REPLIED IN THE SAME WAY AS BEFORE. REMAINDER OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ALTHOUGH GND CTL DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING I COULD TELL BY HER TONE OF VOICE THAT SHE WAS PERTURBED AND CONFUSED BY THE FACT THAT WE WEREN'T WHERE SHE HAD EXPECTED US TO BE. I COULD HAVE APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A SUDDEN STOP, BUT DECIDED NOT TO FOR REASONS OF SAFETY (FLT ATTENDANTS STANDING IN AISLE). SHOULD I HAVE 'WRESTLED THE ACFT' AWAY FROM HIM? I DON'T THINK SO. BUT I'M UNSURE OF HOW TO HANDLE THIS TYPE OF THING IN THE FUTURE. I'M CONSIDERING GOING TO PLT GROUP WITH THIS ONE.

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.