Flight crew of medium large transport experiences alleged ground controller hostility while taxiing ...

Attributes
ACN	119666
Time
Date	198908
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 12600 flight time type : 7800
ASRS Report	119666
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During taxi in and in communication with ground control, our company informed us that our gate was occupied. We told ground. Ground issued a taxi clearance to a holding area. We proceeded as cleared, slowly, as we had never been to holding area. The controller said that we 'appeared not to be following ATC instructions'. The fact was, we were proceeding slowly and trying to read the fine print on our taxi map, and following the clearance to the letter. Both the first officer and myself felt that the controller was being hostile. In general, ground controllers interface well with pilots, but there are exceptions who expect all pilots who are on their turf to be intimately familiar with every taxiway. I may land at as many as 7 airports in a day's operation and I don't have them memorized. I must look at taxiway charts and review path with first officer.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG EXPERIENCES ALLEGED GND CTLR HOSTILITY WHILE TAXIING TO HOLDING AREA.

Narrative: DURING TAXI IN AND IN COM WITH GND CTL, OUR COMPANY INFORMED US THAT OUR GATE WAS OCCUPIED. WE TOLD GND. GND ISSUED A TAXI CLRNC TO A HOLDING AREA. WE PROCEEDED AS CLRED, SLOWLY, AS WE HAD NEVER BEEN TO HOLDING AREA. THE CTLR SAID THAT WE 'APPEARED NOT TO BE FOLLOWING ATC INSTRUCTIONS'. THE FACT WAS, WE WERE PROCEEDING SLOWLY AND TRYING TO READ THE FINE PRINT ON OUR TAXI MAP, AND FOLLOWING THE CLRNC TO THE LETTER. BOTH THE F/O AND MYSELF FELT THAT THE CTLR WAS BEING HOSTILE. IN GENERAL, GND CTLRS INTERFACE WELL WITH PLTS, BUT THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS WHO EXPECT ALL PLTS WHO ARE ON THEIR TURF TO BE INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH EVERY TXWY. I MAY LAND AT AS MANY AS 7 ARPTS IN A DAY'S OPERATION AND I DON'T HAVE THEM MEMORIZED. I MUST LOOK AT TXWY CHARTS AND REVIEW PATH WITH F/O.

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.

Flight crew of medium large transport experiences alleged ground controller hostility while taxiing to holding area.