Narrative:

After landing runway 28L sfo international airport on mon of may 1988 the tower controller said and I quote 'medium large transport X cleared to the gate via left turn on the outer right turn hotel, stay with me.' I complied with the clearance and in my right turn at hotel taxiway I saw the brightest nose gear taxi light I ever saw through my first officer window. I immediately applied full brake pressure stopping the aircraft immediately. After medium large transport Y which apparently was to my right rear on the inner taxiway went very closely by me, I regained my composure and asked the tower controller why I was not advised of medium large transport Y. His response was, 'sorry about that medium large transport X, my mistake.' a couple of other exchanges were made and we taxied to the gate. On arrival at the gate I called the tower and the controller who gave me the taxi clearance answered the telephone and when I identified myself he said oops, let me pick up an unrecorded phone. I told him he didn't have to on my account. He then apologized and said he had just taken over his position and was unaware of medium large transport Y on the inner taxiway. I feel this was too serious of an infraction to go unreported to you. I do not understand why at an airport like sfo with 4 active runways a tower operator would also be directing ground traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWO ACR MLG'S NEARLY COLLIDED ON THE GND WHEN CTLR FAILED TO ADVISE EITHER ACFT OF PERTINENT TRAFFIC.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG RWY 28L SFO INTL ARPT ON MON OF MAY 1988 THE TWR CTLR SAID AND I QUOTE 'MLG X CLRED TO THE GATE VIA L TURN ON THE OUTER R TURN HOTEL, STAY WITH ME.' I COMPLIED WITH THE CLRNC AND IN MY R TURN AT HOTEL TXWY I SAW THE BRIGHTEST NOSE GEAR TAXI LIGHT I EVER SAW THROUGH MY F/O WINDOW. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL BRAKE PRESSURE STOPPING THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY. AFTER MLG Y WHICH APPARENTLY WAS TO MY R REAR ON THE INNER TXWY WENT VERY CLOSELY BY ME, I REGAINED MY COMPOSURE AND ASKED THE TWR CTLR WHY I WAS NOT ADVISED OF MLG Y. HIS RESPONSE WAS, 'SORRY ABOUT THAT MLG X, MY MISTAKE.' A COUPLE OF OTHER EXCHANGES WERE MADE AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. ON ARR AT THE GATE I CALLED THE TWR AND THE CTLR WHO GAVE ME THE TAXI CLRNC ANSWERED THE TELEPHONE AND WHEN I IDENTIFIED MYSELF HE SAID OOPS, LET ME PICK UP AN UNRECORDED PHONE. I TOLD HIM HE DIDN'T HAVE TO ON MY ACCOUNT. HE THEN APOLOGIZED AND SAID HE HAD JUST TAKEN OVER HIS POS AND WAS UNAWARE OF MLG Y ON THE INNER TXWY. I FEEL THIS WAS TOO SERIOUS OF AN INFRACTION TO GO UNREPORTED TO YOU. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY AT AN ARPT LIKE SFO WITH 4 ACTIVE RWYS A TWR OPERATOR WOULD ALSO BE DIRECTING GND TFC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.