Narrative:

Taxied out from passenger terminal behind another air carrier aircraft (large transport). We were instructed to taxi to runway 28C. I thought the other aircraft was going to 28C also, but I noticed that he continued past the turn (taxiway south) to 28C and stopped just short of runway 28C on taxiway T. (At this airport, frequently, aircraft that are assigned 28C and subsequently request 28L are told to hold short of 28C on T and contact the tower.) as we had been running the before-takeoff checklist, I had not heard any instruction to the preceding aircraft, but assumed he had requested 28L. I taxied up behind him, planning to make the turn on south and proceed to 28C. I stopped short of the turn, however, when I realized there was not sufficient room. I would estimate that I stopped about 50' behind the large transport. I heard the aircraft ahead call ground and ask if he could back-taxi on 28C. The reply was negative, and he was told to hold short of 28C. (At this point, I had figured out that he had simply missed the turn to 28C. What I did not realize was that he apparently had taxied partially on to 28C.) I expected him to just stay put. I then saw the reverser buckets on his #1 engine open, heard his engines increase in power, and noted to my extreme surprise that he was backing up right toward us!! I told my first officer to get on the radio and tell the large transport that we were behind him while I started flashing the landing lights, hoping that he would notice and stop. I don't know what finally got his attention, but he eventually stopped short of impact. My aircraft was stationary with the parking brake set during this brief but fascinating encounter. Contributing factors: darkness, poor marking of txwys and runway intxns, apparently unfamiliar crew in preceding aircraft. I most certainly must question the wisdom of backing up west/O knowing what's behind you (especially at night in a 153'-long jet!). What I learned: 1) don't trust anyone! 2) allow enough room behind other aircraft to allow you to turn and run if need be (we couldn't have turned west/O hitting him with our wing tip, by the time I overcame my disbelief of what was transpiring), 3) be aware of terrain along taxiway in case evasive action may be in order--a turn onto the grass could save the day but driving over an embankment might well be worse that a collision, 4) like they told us back in high school driver's education: 'watch out for the other guy!'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TAXIS PAST TURN TO RWY. SECOND ACR TAXIS AND STOPS CLOSE BEHIND. FIRST ACR REVERSES THRUST AND STARTS TO BACK UP.

Narrative: TAXIED OUT FROM PAX TERMINAL BEHIND ANOTHER ACR ACFT (LGT). WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 28C. I THOUGHT THE OTHER ACFT WAS GOING TO 28C ALSO, BUT I NOTICED THAT HE CONTINUED PAST THE TURN (TXWY S) TO 28C AND STOPPED JUST SHORT OF RWY 28C ON TXWY T. (AT THIS ARPT, FREQUENTLY, ACFT THAT ARE ASSIGNED 28C AND SUBSEQUENTLY REQUEST 28L ARE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF 28C ON T AND CONTACT THE TWR.) AS WE HAD BEEN RUNNING THE BEFORE-TKOF CHKLIST, I HAD NOT HEARD ANY INSTRUCTION TO THE PRECEDING ACFT, BUT ASSUMED HE HAD REQUESTED 28L. I TAXIED UP BEHIND HIM, PLANNING TO MAKE THE TURN ON S AND PROCEED TO 28C. I STOPPED SHORT OF THE TURN, HOWEVER, WHEN I REALIZED THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT ROOM. I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT I STOPPED ABOUT 50' BEHIND THE LGT. I HEARD THE ACFT AHEAD CALL GND AND ASK IF HE COULD BACK-TAXI ON 28C. THE REPLY WAS NEGATIVE, AND HE WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF 28C. (AT THIS POINT, I HAD FIGURED OUT THAT HE HAD SIMPLY MISSED THE TURN TO 28C. WHAT I DID NOT REALIZE WAS THAT HE APPARENTLY HAD TAXIED PARTIALLY ON TO 28C.) I EXPECTED HIM TO JUST STAY PUT. I THEN SAW THE REVERSER BUCKETS ON HIS #1 ENG OPEN, HEARD HIS ENGS INCREASE IN PWR, AND NOTED TO MY EXTREME SURPRISE THAT HE WAS BACKING UP RIGHT TOWARD US!! I TOLD MY F/O TO GET ON THE RADIO AND TELL THE LGT THAT WE WERE BEHIND HIM WHILE I STARTED FLASHING THE LNDG LIGHTS, HOPING THAT HE WOULD NOTICE AND STOP. I DON'T KNOW WHAT FINALLY GOT HIS ATTN, BUT HE EVENTUALLY STOPPED SHORT OF IMPACT. MY ACFT WAS STATIONARY WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SET DURING THIS BRIEF BUT FASCINATING ENCOUNTER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: DARKNESS, POOR MARKING OF TXWYS AND RWY INTXNS, APPARENTLY UNFAMILIAR CREW IN PRECEDING ACFT. I MOST CERTAINLY MUST QUESTION THE WISDOM OF BACKING UP W/O KNOWING WHAT'S BEHIND YOU (ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT IN A 153'-LONG JET!). WHAT I LEARNED: 1) DON'T TRUST ANYONE! 2) ALLOW ENOUGH ROOM BEHIND OTHER ACFT TO ALLOW YOU TO TURN AND RUN IF NEED BE (WE COULDN'T HAVE TURNED W/O HITTING HIM WITH OUR WING TIP, BY THE TIME I OVERCAME MY DISBELIEF OF WHAT WAS TRANSPIRING), 3) BE AWARE OF TERRAIN ALONG TXWY IN CASE EVASIVE ACTION MAY BE IN ORDER--A TURN ONTO THE GRASS COULD SAVE THE DAY BUT DRIVING OVER AN EMBANKMENT MIGHT WELL BE WORSE THAT A COLLISION, 4) LIKE THEY TOLD US BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL DRIVER'S EDUCATION: 'WATCH OUT FOR THE OTHER GUY!'

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.