Narrative:

We were taxiing north and had just entered the inner taxiway form 06 intersection and runway 9/27 proceeding to gate xx at dtw. An air carrier widebody transport was taxiing south on the inter taxiway and was abeam concourse C when ground control instructed us to give way to widebody transport and continued on the outer. At that point, widebody transport was approximately 50 yds to our left and we were almost directly in front of him. Both our taxi speeds were such as to pose no danger of a collision. At that point I assumed that ground control thought we were going to go to a C gate on the north side of the C concourse instead of xx which is on the south side, directly in front of us. If I had stopped widebody transport would have had to stop and go around us by a wind margin. I was sure the controller didn't realize we were going to a gate direction in front of us and felt it was safer to continue taxiing, as opposed to making an immediate very quick stop to let widebody transport pass in front. At that point the ground controller said, 'oh, I guess you're just going to continue taxiing, huh?' at that point my first officer remarked to the controller that we were going to gate xx. No evasive maneuvering or stopping were required to avoid collision and widebody transport continued on his way and we parked at gate xx. I feel if the ground controller had said, 'hold your position, give way to the widebody transport passing left to right and continue to your gate,' things would have been much clearer to me. Even then, widebody transport or I would have had to take evasive action because my stopping would have put me directly in front of him.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLT CREW DOES NOT COMPLY WITH GND CTLR INSTRUCTIONS TO GIVE WAY TO WDB.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING N AND HAD JUST ENTERED THE INNER TXWY FORM 06 INTXN AND RWY 9/27 PROCEEDING TO GATE XX AT DTW. AN ACR WDB WAS TAXIING S ON THE INTER TXWY AND WAS ABEAM CONCOURSE C WHEN GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO GIVE WAY TO WDB AND CONTINUED ON THE OUTER. AT THAT POINT, WDB WAS APPROX 50 YDS TO OUR LEFT AND WE WERE ALMOST DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM. BOTH OUR TAXI SPDS WERE SUCH AS TO POSE NO DANGER OF A COLLISION. AT THAT POINT I ASSUMED THAT GND CTL THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO GO TO A C GATE ON THE N SIDE OF THE C CONCOURSE INSTEAD OF XX WHICH IS ON THE S SIDE, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. IF I HAD STOPPED WDB WOULD HAVE HAD TO STOP AND GO AROUND US BY A WIND MARGIN. I WAS SURE THE CTLR DIDN'T REALIZE WE WERE GOING TO A GATE DIRECTION IN FRONT OF US AND FELT IT WAS SAFER TO CONTINUE TAXIING, AS OPPOSED TO MAKING AN IMMEDIATE VERY QUICK STOP TO LET WDB PASS IN FRONT. AT THAT POINT THE GND CTLR SAID, 'OH, I GUESS YOU'RE JUST GOING TO CONTINUE TAXIING, HUH?' AT THAT POINT MY F/O REMARKED TO THE CTLR THAT WE WERE GOING TO GATE XX. NO EVASIVE MANEUVERING OR STOPPING WERE REQUIRED TO AVOID COLLISION AND WDB CONTINUED ON HIS WAY AND WE PARKED AT GATE XX. I FEEL IF THE GND CTLR HAD SAID, 'HOLD YOUR POS, GIVE WAY TO THE WDB PASSING LEFT TO RIGHT AND CONTINUE TO YOUR GATE,' THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH CLEARER TO ME. EVEN THEN, WDB OR I WOULD HAVE HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION BECAUSE MY STOPPING WOULD HAVE PUT ME DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM.

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.