Narrative:

I have an idea to improve safety (and save time and money) on taxi outs at miami. Please coordinate with miami ATC as you see fit. Often we get radio gridlock. Lots of pilots stepping on each other and on ATC. Often the ground controllers are confused as to who is who. Any ground controller who waits for aircraft to call him or who doesn't aggressively and positively control aircraft movement rapidly gets behind during busy times. Then we get radio and taxi gridlock. Like dfw or ord, aircraft should monitor a frequency when number one at a spot for departure. Any spot that is visible to ground control or visible via remote camera, should be a monitor spot. If miami ATC wants, they could use this procedure only during peak times and include the instruction to monitor in the ATIS. The real problem, is that the ground controllers need to take aggressive control over all the aircraft by issuing instructions without waiting for calls. I recognize that miami is a very busy and diverse airport, but the system of tracking call signs and aircraft types should also be improved. Even when it is relatively quiet, I've seen significant confusion. Somehow, the ground controllers need better support in this area. Some of the ground controllers are excellent. Others talk too slow and don't aggressively direct traffic. After a series of instructions to different aircraft and all the conflicts are resolved and everyone is moving onto the correct txwys, in the right direction, then the pilots can read back taxi instructions, like they do in ord, atl, and dfw. The real problem is all the pilots at different spots trying to get a word in to ground. Please consider a system where pilots monitor ground when they approach their spot for taxi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 PIC MAKES A SUGGESTION TO HELP REDUCE RADIO GRIDLOCK ON THE GND CTL FREQ DURING PEAK PERIODS AT MIA.

Narrative: I HAVE AN IDEA TO IMPROVE SAFETY (AND SAVE TIME AND MONEY) ON TAXI OUTS AT MIAMI. PLEASE COORDINATE WITH MIAMI ATC AS YOU SEE FIT. OFTEN WE GET RADIO GRIDLOCK. LOTS OF PLTS STEPPING ON EACH OTHER AND ON ATC. OFTEN THE GND CTLRS ARE CONFUSED AS TO WHO IS WHO. ANY GND CTLR WHO WAITS FOR ACFT TO CALL HIM OR WHO DOESN'T AGGRESSIVELY AND POSITIVELY CTL ACFT MOVEMENT RAPIDLY GETS BEHIND DURING BUSY TIMES. THEN WE GET RADIO AND TAXI GRIDLOCK. LIKE DFW OR ORD, ACFT SHOULD MONITOR A FREQ WHEN NUMBER ONE AT A SPOT FOR DEP. ANY SPOT THAT IS VISIBLE TO GND CTL OR VISIBLE VIA REMOTE CAMERA, SHOULD BE A MONITOR SPOT. IF MIAMI ATC WANTS, THEY COULD USE THIS PROCEDURE ONLY DURING PEAK TIMES AND INCLUDE THE INSTRUCTION TO MONITOR IN THE ATIS. THE REAL PROB, IS THAT THE GND CTLRS NEED TO TAKE AGGRESSIVE CTL OVER ALL THE ACFT BY ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS WITHOUT WAITING FOR CALLS. I RECOGNIZE THAT MIAMI IS A VERY BUSY AND DIVERSE ARPT, BUT THE SYSTEM OF TRACKING CALL SIGNS AND ACFT TYPES SHOULD ALSO BE IMPROVED. EVEN WHEN IT IS RELATIVELY QUIET, I'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT CONFUSION. SOMEHOW, THE GND CTLRS NEED BETTER SUPPORT IN THIS AREA. SOME OF THE GND CTLRS ARE EXCELLENT. OTHERS TALK TOO SLOW AND DON'T AGGRESSIVELY DIRECT TFC. AFTER A SERIES OF INSTRUCTIONS TO DIFFERENT ACFT AND ALL THE CONFLICTS ARE RESOLVED AND EVERYONE IS MOVING ONTO THE CORRECT TXWYS, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, THEN THE PLTS CAN READ BACK TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, LIKE THEY DO IN ORD, ATL, AND DFW. THE REAL PROBLEM IS ALL THE PLTS AT DIFFERENT SPOTS TRYING TO GET A WORD IN TO GND. PLEASE CONSIDER A SYSTEM WHERE PLTS MONITOR GND WHEN THEY APCH THEIR SPOT FOR TAXI.

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.