Narrative:

3/89 flight was cleared by tower to cross runway 28L at echo and contact ground on 121.8. I crossed and cleared runway 28L and my copilot tuned in 121.8 ground control. Ground control was busy inquiring why someone was not pushing back or commencing his taxi in what the controller expected was a timely fashion. There was not sufficient room after clearing the runway for an large transport type aircraft to go by, so I made sure I was parked in clear view in front of the large transport, then coming along taxiway B in the vicinity of taxiway D until the controller could route me to gate. Being night time I felt it prudent to be clearly in front of the large transport rather than have him taxi by assuming that I left enough room, which I hadn't. After having been cleared via the inner to gate the large transport was cleared to continue and another airplane on the inner told to follow. The controller inquired of the large transport if there was any problem and they said there was not, except that he just couldn't get by. The tower said for me to call them when I got to the gate. I have operated at sfo for 25 yrs and do not recall ever being asked to call the tower before. I called the tower and talked to supervisor who stated I was wrong and not wrong. She said that runway 28L was active, but the local controller was not using the runway at the time. The tower is aware there is not enough room to clear runway 28L and remain clear of taxiway B and here at sfo the pilot should not clear the runway until he has received clearance from the ground controller to go on to taxiway B. She said the local controller is aware of the airplane not being clear of the runway and would have the landing aircraft go around if the ground controller failed to get the airplane off the runway. With tenerife, and too many accidents and near accidents associated with airplane's proximity to landing and departing aircraft, it seems to me that to be consistent with safety regulations and operating priorities and to minimize peril to my passenger I must not leave the tower frequency until clear of the runway, I should not attempt to contact ground until clear of the runway and it is more imperative that I do clear the runway then avoid the possibility of interfering with taxiing traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG CRITICIZED BY SFO TWR SUPVR FOR BLOCKING TXWY. ACFT HAD BEEN CLEARED TO CROSS RWY 28L ON TXWY E.

Narrative: 3/89 FLT WAS CLRED BY TWR TO CROSS RWY 28L AT ECHO AND CONTACT GND ON 121.8. I CROSSED AND CLRED RWY 28L AND MY COPLT TUNED IN 121.8 GND CTL. GND CTL WAS BUSY INQUIRING WHY SOMEONE WAS NOT PUSHING BACK OR COMMENCING HIS TAXI IN WHAT THE CTLR EXPECTED WAS A TIMELY FASHION. THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT ROOM AFTER CLRING THE RWY FOR AN LGT TYPE ACFT TO GO BY, SO I MADE SURE I WAS PARKED IN CLEAR VIEW IN FRONT OF THE LGT, THEN COMING ALONG TXWY B IN THE VICINITY OF TXWY D UNTIL THE CTLR COULD ROUTE ME TO GATE. BEING NIGHT TIME I FELT IT PRUDENT TO BE CLEARLY IN FRONT OF THE LGT RATHER THAN HAVE HIM TAXI BY ASSUMING THAT I LEFT ENOUGH ROOM, WHICH I HADN'T. AFTER HAVING BEEN CLRED VIA THE INNER TO GATE THE LGT WAS CLRED TO CONTINUE AND ANOTHER AIRPLANE ON THE INNER TOLD TO FOLLOW. THE CTLR INQUIRED OF THE LGT IF THERE WAS ANY PROB AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOT, EXCEPT THAT HE JUST COULDN'T GET BY. THE TWR SAID FOR ME TO CALL THEM WHEN I GOT TO THE GATE. I HAVE OPERATED AT SFO FOR 25 YRS AND DO NOT RECALL EVER BEING ASKED TO CALL THE TWR BEFORE. I CALLED THE TWR AND TALKED TO SUPVR WHO STATED I WAS WRONG AND NOT WRONG. SHE SAID THAT RWY 28L WAS ACTIVE, BUT THE LCL CTLR WAS NOT USING THE RWY AT THE TIME. THE TWR IS AWARE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO CLR RWY 28L AND REMAIN CLR OF TXWY B AND HERE AT SFO THE PLT SHOULD NOT CLR THE RWY UNTIL HE HAS RECEIVED CLRNC FROM THE GND CTLR TO GO ON TO TXWY B. SHE SAID THE LCL CTLR IS AWARE OF THE AIRPLANE NOT BEING CLR OF THE RWY AND WOULD HAVE THE LNDG ACFT GO AROUND IF THE GND CTLR FAILED TO GET THE AIRPLANE OFF THE RWY. WITH TENERIFE, AND TOO MANY ACCIDENTS AND NEAR ACCIDENTS ASSOCIATED WITH AIRPLANE'S PROX TO LNDG AND DEPARTING ACFT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT TO BE CONSISTENT WITH SAFETY REGS AND OPERATING PRIORITIES AND TO MINIMIZE PERIL TO MY PAX I MUST NOT LEAVE THE TWR FREQ UNTIL CLR OF THE RWY, I SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO CONTACT GND UNTIL CLR OF THE RWY AND IT IS MORE IMPERATIVE THAT I DO CLR THE RWY THEN AVOID THE POSSIBILITY OF INTERFERING WITH TAXIING 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.