Narrative:

We pushed back from gate in sea and called for taxi upon completion of the pre-takeoff checklist. Our instructions from ground control were 'company X taxi to runway 16L via taxiway B.' as we headed north on taxiway B behind a company Y B737, I noticed a company Z B737 had just pushed back and was disconnected from the tug. He was on the ramp abeam taxiway M. As we approached his 7 O'clock position, he started to turn left towards taxiway B. We were abeam him at this point. I noticed this would be a conflict, so I veered left from the taxi line about 3 ft to ensure separation from the 2 aircraft. We had at least 30 ft wingtip separation as we passed, and my ground speed was around 20 KTS. At this point, the company Z B737 called for taxi and stated to ground 'ground company Z -- taxi and I thought you wanted us to follow company Y.' the ground controller replied 'taxi to runway 16L and follow company. Sorry, but company snuck up on me, and I did not tell him to follow you to runway 16L -- sorry.' company Z then replied that he felt that the pass we made on him was in a dangerous nature. I then asked my first officer to ask ground if she wanted us to pull over and follow company Z. She said no, and told us to continue. She also stated that she forgot to tell us to follow company Z. At this point, we switched to tower for takeoff. I feel this all could have been prevented, if ground had told us on initial contact to follow company Z to runway 16L. At no time did we hear the ground controller give company Z taxi instructions prior to us requesting taxi. Supplemental information from acn 570644: taxi conflict. From gate, we received taxi clearance from sea ground to 'taxi to runway 16L.' no other instructions beyond that. On taxiway B heading north, we were about 300 ft behind a company Y B737, also taxiing north on taxiway B. There was a company Z B737 that had already been pushed back and was about 150 ft east of taxiway B facing north. The company Z jet appeared to be waiting for taxi clearance and was moving very slowly parallel to, but slightly towards taxiway B. We were taxiing faster than company Y and close to 50 ft in trail when at company Z 7 O'clock position. As we taxied in behind company Y, ground called company Z and apologized for letting us 'sneak in.' company Z stated that we were taxiing fast and had 'scared him.' I called ground and asked if she would like us to pull over to the side and let company Z pass. Ground stated we were ok to continue. Company Z came back and stated 'the danger has already passed.' I believe company Z had been given taxi clearance to follow company Y, but we hadn't heard it. I think ground control thought company Z would have plenty of time to get behind company Y without having to worry about us being a conflict. Since company Y was taxiing so slowly, we were able to close the distance and confusion resulted. I thought we were doing company Z a favor by expediting our taxi, so when he called for taxi, we would be in a position behind company Y, I was scanning the wingtips as we passed company Z. We had 30-50 ft wingtip separation. Company Z was moving at 2-4 KTS, mostly parallel to taxiway B. I did not feel there was any threat of a conflict. Ground did not inform company Z we were behind company Y, and we did not know company Z was cleared to taxi in sequence behind company Y. In the future, I will question ground if there is any doubt about a taxi sequence.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW, WITHOUT SPECIFIC CLRNC TO GIVE WAY TO ACFT AHEAD, CUT THEM OUT AND TAXIED FASTER THAN CONDITIONS WARRANTED.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK FROM GATE IN SEA AND CALLED FOR TAXI UPON COMPLETION OF THE PRE-TKOF CHKLIST. OUR INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL WERE 'COMPANY X TAXI TO RWY 16L VIA TXWY B.' AS WE HEADED NORTH ON TXWY B BEHIND A COMPANY Y B737, I NOTICED A COMPANY Z B737 HAD JUST PUSHED BACK AND WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE TUG. HE WAS ON THE RAMP ABEAM TXWY M. AS WE APCHED HIS 7 O'CLOCK POS, HE STARTED TO TURN L TOWARDS TXWY B. WE WERE ABEAM HIM AT THIS POINT. I NOTICED THIS WOULD BE A CONFLICT, SO I VEERED L FROM THE TAXI LINE ABOUT 3 FT TO ENSURE SEPARATION FROM THE 2 ACFT. WE HAD AT LEAST 30 FT WINGTIP SEPARATION AS WE PASSED, AND MY GND SPD WAS AROUND 20 KTS. AT THIS POINT, THE COMPANY Z B737 CALLED FOR TAXI AND STATED TO GND 'GND COMPANY Z -- TAXI AND I THOUGHT YOU WANTED US TO FOLLOW COMPANY Y.' THE GND CTLR REPLIED 'TAXI TO RWY 16L AND FOLLOW COMPANY. SORRY, BUT COMPANY SNUCK UP ON ME, AND I DID NOT TELL HIM TO FOLLOW YOU TO RWY 16L -- SORRY.' COMPANY Z THEN REPLIED THAT HE FELT THAT THE PASS WE MADE ON HIM WAS IN A DANGEROUS NATURE. I THEN ASKED MY FO TO ASK GND IF SHE WANTED US TO PULL OVER AND FOLLOW COMPANY Z. SHE SAID NO, AND TOLD US TO CONTINUE. SHE ALSO STATED THAT SHE FORGOT TO TELL US TO FOLLOW COMPANY Z. AT THIS POINT, WE SWITCHED TO TWR FOR TKOF. I FEEL THIS ALL COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, IF GND HAD TOLD US ON INITIAL CONTACT TO FOLLOW COMPANY Z TO RWY 16L. AT NO TIME DID WE HEAR THE GND CTLR GIVE COMPANY Z TAXI INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO US REQUESTING TAXI. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 570644: TAXI CONFLICT. FROM GATE, WE RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC FROM SEA GND TO 'TAXI TO RWY 16L.' NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS BEYOND THAT. ON TXWY B HDG N, WE WERE ABOUT 300 FT BEHIND A COMPANY Y B737, ALSO TAXIING N ON TXWY B. THERE WAS A COMPANY Z B737 THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN PUSHED BACK AND WAS ABOUT 150 FT E OF TXWY B FACING N. THE COMPANY Z JET APPEARED TO BE WAITING FOR TAXI CLRNC AND WAS MOVING VERY SLOWLY PARALLEL TO, BUT SLIGHTLY TOWARDS TXWY B. WE WERE TAXIING FASTER THAN COMPANY Y AND CLOSE TO 50 FT IN TRAIL WHEN AT COMPANY Z 7 O'CLOCK POS. AS WE TAXIED IN BEHIND COMPANY Y, GND CALLED COMPANY Z AND APOLOGIZED FOR LETTING US 'SNEAK IN.' COMPANY Z STATED THAT WE WERE TAXIING FAST AND HAD 'SCARED HIM.' I CALLED GND AND ASKED IF SHE WOULD LIKE US TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE AND LET COMPANY Z PASS. GND STATED WE WERE OK TO CONTINUE. COMPANY Z CAME BACK AND STATED 'THE DANGER HAS ALREADY PASSED.' I BELIEVE COMPANY Z HAD BEEN GIVEN TAXI CLRNC TO FOLLOW COMPANY Y, BUT WE HADN'T HEARD IT. I THINK GND CTL THOUGHT COMPANY Z WOULD HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO GET BEHIND COMPANY Y WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT US BEING A CONFLICT. SINCE COMPANY Y WAS TAXIING SO SLOWLY, WE WERE ABLE TO CLOSE THE DISTANCE AND CONFUSION RESULTED. I THOUGHT WE WERE DOING COMPANY Z A FAVOR BY EXPEDITING OUR TAXI, SO WHEN HE CALLED FOR TAXI, WE WOULD BE IN A POS BEHIND COMPANY Y, I WAS SCANNING THE WINGTIPS AS WE PASSED COMPANY Z. WE HAD 30-50 FT WINGTIP SEPARATION. COMPANY Z WAS MOVING AT 2-4 KTS, MOSTLY PARALLEL TO TXWY B. I DID NOT FEEL THERE WAS ANY THREAT OF A CONFLICT. GND DID NOT INFORM COMPANY Z WE WERE BEHIND COMPANY Y, AND WE DID NOT KNOW COMPANY Z WAS CLRED TO TAXI IN SEQUENCE BEHIND COMPANY Y. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL QUESTION GND IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT ABOUT A TAXI SEQUENCE.

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.