Narrative:

My first officer called beatrix tower to put clearance on request, then called tower for taxi/engine start. Tower told him to contact apron. Apron told us to stand by until other air carrier was clear. Then apron cleared us to push back and start engines. After we were started and disconnected, we called apron for taxi. Apron cleared us to taxi and to contact tower. We started taxiing on the ramp and called tower. They said, 'why are you taxiing without clearance?' we said 'we had clearance from apron.' tower also stated 'we did not have clearance to start engines.' we said that, 'you, the tower, had cleared us to apron when we asked for push/start and apron cleared us.' bottom line the procedures located on page need to be reviewed as they are not clear to me and may not be clear to others. Does apron have authority/authorized to clear us to push/start? If not, why is tower clearing us to them? It also states that clearance to push is also clearance to start engines. We felt we followed procedures as stated in the book as best we could and obviously the tower did not. Any help in making it clrer would be appreciated. Supplemental information from acn 588726: once engines were started, we requested taxi from apron and was cleared to taxi and told to contact tower before proceeding onto active taxiway G while still on the ramp. Proceeding to taxiway G, we contacted tower and requested taxi instructions and clearance. When tower responded, we were told we were in error for not contacting tower before starting to taxi while still on the ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY INCURSION NEAR THE RAMP DEP AREA WHEN A TAXIING B757 IS CHALLENGED BY THE TWR FOR A TAXI CLRNC DEV AT TNCA, FO.

Narrative: MY FO CALLED BEATRIX TWR TO PUT CLRNC ON REQUEST, THEN CALLED TWR FOR TAXI/ENG START. TWR TOLD HIM TO CONTACT APRON. APRON TOLD US TO STAND BY UNTIL OTHER ACR WAS CLR. THEN APRON CLRED US TO PUSH BACK AND START ENGS. AFTER WE WERE STARTED AND DISCONNECTED, WE CALLED APRON FOR TAXI. APRON CLRED US TO TAXI AND TO CONTACT TWR. WE STARTED TAXIING ON THE RAMP AND CALLED TWR. THEY SAID, 'WHY ARE YOU TAXIING WITHOUT CLRNC?' WE SAID 'WE HAD CLRNC FROM APRON.' TWR ALSO STATED 'WE DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO START ENGS.' WE SAID THAT, 'YOU, THE TWR, HAD CLRED US TO APRON WHEN WE ASKED FOR PUSH/START AND APRON CLRED US.' BOTTOM LINE THE PROCS LOCATED ON PAGE NEED TO BE REVIEWED AS THEY ARE NOT CLR TO ME AND MAY NOT BE CLR TO OTHERS. DOES APRON HAVE AUTH TO CLR US TO PUSH/START? IF NOT, WHY IS TWR CLRING US TO THEM? IT ALSO STATES THAT CLRNC TO PUSH IS ALSO CLRNC TO START ENGS. WE FELT WE FOLLOWED PROCS AS STATED IN THE BOOK AS BEST WE COULD AND OBVIOUSLY THE TWR DID NOT. ANY HELP IN MAKING IT CLRER WOULD BE APPRECIATED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 588726: ONCE ENGS WERE STARTED, WE REQUESTED TAXI FROM APRON AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI AND TOLD TO CONTACT TWR BEFORE PROCEEDING ONTO ACTIVE TXWY G WHILE STILL ON THE RAMP. PROCEEDING TO TXWY G, WE CONTACTED TWR AND REQUESTED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND CLRNC. WHEN TWR RESPONDED, WE WERE TOLD WE WERE IN ERROR FOR NOT CONTACTING TWR BEFORE STARTING TO TAXI WHILE STILL ON THE RAMP.

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.