Narrative:

I was the captain on a dhc-8 that landed in seattle. During our landing rollout on runway 16R, the controller instructed us to 'cross runway 16L, move to the east side of the taxiway B, remain on my frequency to the gate, say parking spot.' the first officer read back the clearance and informed the controller of our parking spot. While clearing runway 16L on taxiway M, we noticed an airbus on taxiway B to our south moving northbound. The controller had not mentioned that aircraft to us and since there was sufficient spacing with the airbus, we moved across the taxiway to our parking spot ahead of them. The controller working our flight on tower frequency was also working the airbus on ground frequency, so we were unable to hear what the airbus crew talking to the controller. After we cleared the taxiway, we heard the tower controller say to the airbus 'sorry about that, I told the dash-8 to go behind you.' the statement was apparently given in response to the airbus crew complaining on ground frequency about us passing ahead of them. My first officer then told the controller that we had heard and read back that we were cleared all the way to the gate, and that nothing was said about the airbus or any other plane. The only reply from the controller was 'roger.' the airbus crew apparently continued to complain on ground frequency and the controller finally ended the conversation by giving what was apparently the phone number to the tower. Communications in seattle are often difficult late at night and early in the morning when 1 controller is responsible for tower, ground, and clearance delivery. There have been many times that I have found it difficult to get a taxi clearance or a clearance to land because one controller has to juggle several frequencys.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC8 PLT CHALLENGES SEA LCL CTLR GND CTLR WHEN USED AS AN EXCUSE FOR THE CTLR NOT RESOLVING A TXWY CONFLICT WITH AN A320.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON A DHC-8 THAT LANDED IN SEATTLE. DURING OUR LNDG ROLLOUT ON RWY 16R, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO 'CROSS RWY 16L, MOVE TO THE E SIDE OF THE TXWY B, REMAIN ON MY FREQ TO THE GATE, SAY PARKING SPOT.' THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC AND INFORMED THE CTLR OF OUR PARKING SPOT. WHILE CLRING RWY 16L ON TXWY M, WE NOTICED AN AIRBUS ON TXWY B TO OUR S MOVING NBOUND. THE CTLR HAD NOT MENTIONED THAT ACFT TO US AND SINCE THERE WAS SUFFICIENT SPACING WITH THE AIRBUS, WE MOVED ACROSS THE TXWY TO OUR PARKING SPOT AHEAD OF THEM. THE CTLR WORKING OUR FLT ON TWR FREQ WAS ALSO WORKING THE AIRBUS ON GND FREQ, SO WE WERE UNABLE TO HEAR WHAT THE AIRBUS CREW TALKING TO THE CTLR. AFTER WE CLRED THE TXWY, WE HEARD THE TWR CTLR SAY TO THE AIRBUS 'SORRY ABOUT THAT, I TOLD THE DASH-8 TO GO BEHIND YOU.' THE STATEMENT WAS APPARENTLY GIVEN IN RESPONSE TO THE AIRBUS CREW COMPLAINING ON GND FREQ ABOUT US PASSING AHEAD OF THEM. MY FO THEN TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE HAD HEARD AND READ BACK THAT WE WERE CLRED ALL THE WAY TO THE GATE, AND THAT NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT THE AIRBUS OR ANY OTHER PLANE. THE ONLY REPLY FROM THE CTLR WAS 'ROGER.' THE AIRBUS CREW APPARENTLY CONTINUED TO COMPLAIN ON GND FREQ AND THE CTLR FINALLY ENDED THE CONVERSATION BY GIVING WHAT WAS APPARENTLY THE PHONE NUMBER TO THE TWR. COMS IN SEATTLE ARE OFTEN DIFFICULT LATE AT NIGHT AND EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN 1 CTLR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TWR, GND, AND CLRNC DELIVERY. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES THAT I HAVE FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO GET A TAXI CLRNC OR A CLRNC TO LAND BECAUSE ONE CTLR HAS TO JUGGLE SEVERAL FREQS.

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.