Narrative:

We received our IFR clearance and taxied out for runway 27R via dixie. We were on ground 121.9 and instructed to hold short of runway 26R on dixie. We waited our turn and eventually received clearance to cross runway 26R and hold short of runway 26L. We added power to taxi across and observed an aircraft on what appeared to be a 1 to 2 mile final. We kept rolling as the controller asked us to expedite across. We were at least half way across at this point. As we were braking to hold short of runway 26L the controller said, 'everyone taxiing south on dixie switch to 121.75.' we were the third call sign to acknowledge that we were switching. I remember pointing at our southerly heading on the dg and saying 'that's us' when the controller made the frequency change call. We waited quite a while again. There was an aircraft under tug waiting on taxiway charlie beside us, so we did not feel the wait was unwarranted. The ground frequency was quite busy, as you would expect. After the aircraft under tow was cleared across we asked for our progress and were cleared across runway 26L and asked to taxi up to and stop underneath the tower and given a different frequency (I believe it was 118.1). We were informed that we were talking to the tower supervisor who was angry, although polite and professional, that we took too long to cross runway 26R. He told us that an aircraft had to be issued a go around because we were, 'less than expedient' in crossing the runway. The supervisor thought that we were trying to taxi on one engine, and that had caused our slow progress. We explained we were under power of both engines. The supervisor also did not understand why we had switched ground frequency to 121.75. They had apparently been trying to reach us on 121.9. We read back the exact 'everyone heading south on dixie...' clearance and confirmed we acknowledged the frequency change before switching. We were told that was to apply to everyone past the tower, although that information was not in the original clearance. The supervisor was more concerned about issuing the go around and, I believe, understood where the confusion arose. Because of the tower supervisor's adamant reprimand I felt a form to NASA was prudent. The aircraft we fly is not equipped with thrust reversers, therefore the brakes are our sole means of stopping power, and we are very aware of overheating the brakes by riding them during taxi, as well as adding large amounts of power and braking heavily to hold short. We will obviously be more aggressive in our power applications, but must not compromise the safety of the entire aircraft to sneak through a gap in traffic. Also, we can monitor the width of a runway we are about to cross to better gauge the distance to be traveled. Wider runways are also 'crowned' more for water drainage, and we feel this contributed somewhat to our slow crossing of runway 26R. We operate out of large international airports very often, and feel comfortable that our past and future taxi habits are safe, but also modifiable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE40 IS CRITIQUED BY ATC AT ATL FOR SLOW RWY CROSSING RESULTING IN GAR.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED OUR IFR CLRNC AND TAXIED OUT FOR RWY 27R VIA DIXIE. WE WERE ON GND 121.9 AND INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 26R ON DIXIE. WE WAITED OUR TURN AND EVENTUALLY RECEIVED CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 26R AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 26L. WE ADDED PWR TO TAXI ACROSS AND OBSERVED AN ACFT ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE A 1 TO 2 MILE FINAL. WE KEPT ROLLING AS THE CTLR ASKED US TO EXPEDITE ACROSS. WE WERE AT LEAST HALF WAY ACROSS AT THIS POINT. AS WE WERE BRAKING TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 26L THE CTLR SAID, 'EVERYONE TAXIING S ON DIXIE SWITCH TO 121.75.' WE WERE THE THIRD CALL SIGN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE WERE SWITCHING. I REMEMBER POINTING AT OUR SOUTHERLY HDG ON THE DG AND SAYING 'THAT'S US' WHEN THE CTLR MADE THE FREQUENCY CHANGE CALL. WE WAITED QUITE A WHILE AGAIN. THERE WAS AN ACFT UNDER TUG WAITING ON TXWY CHARLIE BESIDE US, SO WE DID NOT FEEL THE WAIT WAS UNWARRANTED. THE GND FREQUENCY WAS QUITE BUSY, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT. AFTER THE ACFT UNDER TOW WAS CLRED ACROSS WE ASKED FOR OUR PROGRESS AND WERE CLRED ACROSS RWY 26L AND ASKED TO TAXI UP TO AND STOP UNDERNEATH THE TWR AND GIVEN A DIFFERENT FREQUENCY (I BELIEVE IT WAS 118.1). WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE WERE TALKING TO THE TWR SUPVR WHO WAS ANGRY, ALTHOUGH POLITE AND PROFESSIONAL, THAT WE TOOK TOO LONG TO CROSS RWY 26R. HE TOLD US THAT AN ACFT HAD TO BE ISSUED A GAR BECAUSE WE WERE, 'LESS THAN EXPEDIENT' IN CROSSING THE RWY. THE SUPVR THOUGHT THAT WE WERE TRYING TO TAXI ON ONE ENGINE, AND THAT HAD CAUSED OUR SLOW PROGRESS. WE EXPLAINED WE WERE UNDER PWR OF BOTH ENGINES. THE SUPVR ALSO DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAD SWITCHED GND FREQUENCY TO 121.75. THEY HAD APPARENTLY BEEN TRYING TO REACH US ON 121.9. WE READ BACK THE EXACT 'EVERYONE HEADING SOUTH ON DIXIE...' CLRNC AND CONFIRMED WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FREQUENCY CHANGE BEFORE SWITCHING. WE WERE TOLD THAT WAS TO APPLY TO EVERYONE PAST THE TWR, ALTHOUGH THAT INFO WAS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL CLRNC. THE SUPVR WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT ISSUING THE GAR AND, I BELIEVE, UNDERSTOOD WHERE THE CONFUSION AROSE. BECAUSE OF THE TWR SUPVR'S ADAMANT REPRIMAND I FELT A FORM TO NASA WAS PRUDENT. THE ACFT WE FLY IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH THRUST REVERSERS, THEREFORE THE BRAKES ARE OUR SOLE MEANS OF STOPPING PWR, AND WE ARE VERY AWARE OF OVERHEATING THE BRAKES BY RIDING THEM DURING TAXI, AS WELL AS ADDING LARGE AMOUNTS OF PWR AND BRAKING HEAVILY TO HOLD SHORT. WE WILL OBVIOUSLY BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN OUR PWR APPLICATIONS, BUT MUST NOT COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF THE ENTIRE ACFT TO SNEAK THROUGH A GAP IN TFC. ALSO, WE CAN MONITOR THE WIDTH OF A RWY WE ARE ABOUT TO CROSS TO BETTER GAUGE THE DISTANCE TO BE TRAVELED. WIDER RWYS ARE ALSO 'CROWNED' MORE FOR WATER DRAINAGE, AND WE FEEL THIS CONTRIBUTED SOMEWHAT TO OUR SLOW CROSSING OF RWY 26R. WE OPERATE OUT OF LARGE INTERNATIONAL ARPTS VERY OFTEN, AND FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT OUR PAST AND FUTURE TAXI HABITS ARE SAFE, BUT ALSO MODIFIABLE.

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.