Narrative:

We were taxiing to runway 26L for departure. Atl ground controls issued the following taxi clearance; 'aircraft X; taxi to runway 26L via foxtrot.' the first officer and myself discussed the fact that taxiway F ended and we needed to transition to taxiway east to get to runway 26L. As we continued taxiing; no further instructions were offered from atl ground control. When the first officer queried the controller about what he wanted us to do; the controller's response was 'aircraft X; is this your first time in atl? It is implied that you transition to echo via delta and continue to 26L.' he then went on to give us a lecture on how that has always been the 'implied' taxi instructions. Since when do we have 'implied' taxi instructions? There are no coded taxi rtes for atl; there were no NOTAMS outlining any 'implied' taxi rtes; and there were no notes on the airport diagram page stating any 'implied' taxi rtes. A transition to taxiway east could just as easily have occurred via F4; F5; or charlie txwys. How were we supposed to know that taxiway D was the preferred route. No violations occurred as a result of this situation. The reason for this report is to alert all concerned parties of the increasingly unprofessional behavior of the ATC controllers. With runway incursion on the rise; it is astonishing to me that the ground controllers are berating pilots for clarification and confirmation of instructions. Their behavior could result in a violation to a crew member -- or worse.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARRIER DEPARTURE FROM ATL VOICED CONCERN REGARDING ATC TAXI CLEARANCE TO RUNWAY 26L; DEVOID OF SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FOR TRANSITIONING FROM TAXI WAY F TO E; ATC'S INDIFFERENCE AND ATTITUDE CITED AS PROBLEMATIC.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 26L FOR DEP. ATL GND CTLS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING TAXI CLRNC; 'ACFT X; TAXI TO RWY 26L VIA FOXTROT.' THE FO AND MYSELF DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT TXWY F ENDED AND WE NEEDED TO TRANSITION TO TXWY E TO GET TO RWY 26L. AS WE CONTINUED TAXIING; NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WERE OFFERED FROM ATL GND CTL. WHEN THE FO QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT WHAT HE WANTED US TO DO; THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS 'ACFT X; IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME IN ATL? IT IS IMPLIED THAT YOU TRANSITION TO ECHO VIA DELTA AND CONTINUE TO 26L.' HE THEN WENT ON TO GIVE US A LECTURE ON HOW THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE 'IMPLIED' TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. SINCE WHEN DO WE HAVE 'IMPLIED' TAXI INSTRUCTIONS? THERE ARE NO CODED TAXI RTES FOR ATL; THERE WERE NO NOTAMS OUTLINING ANY 'IMPLIED' TAXI RTES; AND THERE WERE NO NOTES ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM PAGE STATING ANY 'IMPLIED' TAXI RTES. A TRANSITION TO TXWY E COULD JUST AS EASILY HAVE OCCURRED VIA F4; F5; OR CHARLIE TXWYS. HOW WERE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT TXWY D WAS THE PREFERRED RTE. NO VIOLATIONS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS SITUATION. THE REASON FOR THIS RPT IS TO ALERT ALL CONCERNED PARTIES OF THE INCREASINGLY UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR OF THE ATC CTLRS. WITH RWY INCURSION ON THE RISE; IT IS ASTONISHING TO ME THAT THE GND CTLRS ARE BERATING PLTS FOR CLARIFICATION AND CONFIRMATION OF INSTRUCTIONS. THEIR BEHAVIOR COULD RESULT IN A VIOLATION TO A CREW MEMBER -- OR WORSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.