Critical ground conflict between air carrier-medium large transport and cargo-large transport at atl...

Attributes
ACN	140538
Time
Date	199003
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	140538
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Error

Narrative:

We were taxiing out for takeoff at atl and were instructed to continue taxiing and monitor tower 119.5 by ground control. This instruction was given earlier than usual for that specific airport, but we were both sure that is what they said to do, and we just assumed they were doing it because it was late at night and traffic was light. We were transitioning from the inner taxiway to the outer taxiway on a 45 degree connector just prior to D taxiway. We heard a jet engine run up, but we could not see anybody. A few seconds later I saw the nose of an air carrier large transport Y directly in front of us, proceeding south on D taxiway. The captain slammed on the brakes and the large transport Y freighter went by. Nothing was said on tower frequency for a couple of mins, then they asked us twice if that aircraft had caused us a problem and they apologized. Large transport Y was evidently on ground control frequency and we were on tower. After takeoff the tower again thanked us for our cooperation. There was evidently a breakdown in communication in the tower. Another contributing factor was that the large transport Y had no taxi lights on, just navigation and rotating beacon.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRITICAL GND CONFLICT BETWEEN ACR-MLG AND CARGO-LGT AT ATL.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF AT ATL AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE TAXIING AND MONITOR TWR 119.5 BY GND CTL. THIS INSTRUCTION WAS GIVEN EARLIER THAN USUAL FOR THAT SPECIFIC ARPT, BUT WE WERE BOTH SURE THAT IS WHAT THEY SAID TO DO, AND WE JUST ASSUMED THEY WERE DOING IT BECAUSE IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND TFC WAS LIGHT. WE WERE TRANSITIONING FROM THE INNER TXWY TO THE OUTER TXWY ON A 45 DEG CONNECTOR JUST PRIOR TO D TXWY. WE HEARD A JET ENG RUN UP, BUT WE COULD NOT SEE ANYBODY. A FEW SECS LATER I SAW THE NOSE OF AN ACR LGT Y DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US, PROCEEDING S ON D TXWY. THE CAPT SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND THE LGT Y FREIGHTER WENT BY. NOTHING WAS SAID ON TWR FREQ FOR A COUPLE OF MINS, THEN THEY ASKED US TWICE IF THAT ACFT HAD CAUSED US A PROB AND THEY APOLOGIZED. LGT Y WAS EVIDENTLY ON GND CTL FREQ AND WE WERE ON TWR. AFTER TKOF THE TWR AGAIN THANKED US FOR OUR COOPERATION. THERE WAS EVIDENTLY A BREAKDOWN IN COM IN THE TWR. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT THE LGT Y HAD NO TAXI LIGHTS ON, JUST NAV AND ROTATING BEACON.

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