Narrative:

We tuned in the tower as we approached the OM for runway 28L. The tower was extremely busy, and it became apparent that the reason for their workload was that they were involved with asking each aircraft about gate assignments after it had landed. This took at least 3 xmissions more than normal before each was turned over to ground control. I became irritated and impatient, and began to discuss the situation and my opinions as we started down the G/south. When I had succeeded in irritating the controller, I stopped discussing it, with a mental note to refuse to discuss gate information until I had been switched to ground control. (Please note that in-flight anger was the cause of my last report on this form! My new yr's resolution for 1989 was to try to suppress my anger in flight, but in any case, never to discuss my irritations with controllers until I get off the airplane--and here I am breaking it just before the end of the yr! The fact that we were 2 hours late didn't help, but that's certainly no excuse; rather, it's reason for extra vigilance.) at the end of the landing rollout, I took control of the plane, turning off at C5. When tower asked for our gate assignment, I told him I'd discuss that with ground control. He said, 'ok, hold short of 28C on taxiway victor.' well, my anger got in the way, and I thought he said to hold short of runway 32 on taxiway victor. He says he has it on the tape with his version, so I guess I'll have to believe him. (There must have been some doubt in my mind, because I can remember looking extra carefully as I crossed 28C.) at his request, I called the tower supervisor when I got inside, and I think we came to a resolution in which he accepted my apology. At any rate, my resolution has been renewed for 1990, and I will try to watch myself more carefully at yr's end, and at rope's end! Ps: the tower really shouldn't be clobbering their landing and takeoff frequency with gate information, should they? Supplemental information from acn 133351: the captain was very perturbed about all this chatter about gates on tower frequency, and he started arguing with the controller. After landing the captain, still perturbed, advised me that he would work the radios and taxi. I tuned out the conversations at this point. ATC cleared us to hold short of runway 28C. The captain thought he heard hold short of runway 14. I had tuned out the conversation due to all the arguing. We taxied across 28C, and as soon as we did, ATC advised us of our illegal runway crossing. ATC advised the captain to call his supervisor after we got to the gate. The captain was reluctant to do this, but eventually did. He advised me that he had smoothed things out. Tower may have been asking airplanes gate information due to reduced manning levels. Overall, a bit more professionalism on the part of the crew and controller would have prevented this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG ENGAGES LCL CTLR IN HOT DEBATE, ENDS UP WITH FOOT IN MOUTH.

Narrative: WE TUNED IN THE TWR AS WE APCHED THE OM FOR RWY 28L. THE TWR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, AND IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE REASON FOR THEIR WORKLOAD WAS THAT THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH ASKING EACH ACFT ABOUT GATE ASSIGNMENTS AFTER IT HAD LANDED. THIS TOOK AT LEAST 3 XMISSIONS MORE THAN NORMAL BEFORE EACH WAS TURNED OVER TO GND CTL. I BECAME IRRITATED AND IMPATIENT, AND BEGAN TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION AND MY OPINIONS AS WE STARTED DOWN THE G/S. WHEN I HAD SUCCEEDED IN IRRITATING THE CTLR, I STOPPED DISCUSSING IT, WITH A MENTAL NOTE TO REFUSE TO DISCUSS GATE INFO UNTIL I HAD BEEN SWITCHED TO GND CTL. (PLEASE NOTE THAT INFLT ANGER WAS THE CAUSE OF MY LAST RPT ON THIS FORM! MY NEW YR'S RESOLUTION FOR 1989 WAS TO TRY TO SUPPRESS MY ANGER IN FLT, BUT IN ANY CASE, NEVER TO DISCUSS MY IRRITATIONS WITH CTLRS UNTIL I GET OFF THE AIRPLANE--AND HERE I AM BREAKING IT JUST BEFORE THE END OF THE YR! THE FACT THAT WE WERE 2 HRS LATE DIDN'T HELP, BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY NO EXCUSE; RATHER, IT'S REASON FOR EXTRA VIGILANCE.) AT THE END OF THE LNDG ROLLOUT, I TOOK CONTROL OF THE PLANE, TURNING OFF AT C5. WHEN TWR ASKED FOR OUR GATE ASSIGNMENT, I TOLD HIM I'D DISCUSS THAT WITH GND CTL. HE SAID, 'OK, HOLD SHORT OF 28C ON TXWY VICTOR.' WELL, MY ANGER GOT IN THE WAY, AND I THOUGHT HE SAID TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 32 ON TXWY VICTOR. HE SAYS HE HAS IT ON THE TAPE WITH HIS VERSION, SO I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO BELIEVE HIM. (THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME DOUBT IN MY MIND, BECAUSE I CAN REMEMBER LOOKING EXTRA CAREFULLY AS I CROSSED 28C.) AT HIS REQUEST, I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR WHEN I GOT INSIDE, AND I THINK WE CAME TO A RESOLUTION IN WHICH HE ACCEPTED MY APOLOGY. AT ANY RATE, MY RESOLUTION HAS BEEN RENEWED FOR 1990, AND I WILL TRY TO WATCH MYSELF MORE CAREFULLY AT YR'S END, AND AT ROPE'S END! PS: THE TWR REALLY SHOULDN'T BE CLOBBERING THEIR LNDG AND TKOF FREQ WITH GATE INFO, SHOULD THEY? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 133351: THE CAPT WAS VERY PERTURBED ABOUT ALL THIS CHATTER ABOUT GATES ON TWR FREQ, AND HE STARTED ARGUING WITH THE CTLR. AFTER LNDG THE CAPT, STILL PERTURBED, ADVISED ME THAT HE WOULD WORK THE RADIOS AND TAXI. I TUNED OUT THE CONVERSATIONS AT THIS POINT. ATC CLRED US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28C. THE CAPT THOUGHT HE HEARD HOLD SHORT OF RWY 14. I HAD TUNED OUT THE CONVERSATION DUE TO ALL THE ARGUING. WE TAXIED ACROSS 28C, AND AS SOON AS WE DID, ATC ADVISED US OF OUR ILLEGAL RWY XING. ATC ADVISED THE CAPT TO CALL HIS SUPVR AFTER WE GOT TO THE GATE. THE CAPT WAS RELUCTANT TO DO THIS, BUT EVENTUALLY DID. HE ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD SMOOTHED THINGS OUT. TWR MAY HAVE BEEN ASKING AIRPLANES GATE INFO DUE TO REDUCED MANNING LEVELS. OVERALL, A BIT MORE PROFESSIONALISM ON THE PART OF THE CREW AND CTLR WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SITUATION.

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.