Narrative:

We had just landed on runway 28L and tower told us to taxi via 'victor' but hold short of 28C. At this point we were the second aircraft holding short of that runway. The frequency was busy but we got clear instructions to follow the aircraft ahead of us across runway 28C, but to give way to, and follow, commuter Y taxiing eastbound on taxiway 'whiskey' and then contact ground. Aircraft Y was quite a way west (about 300-400 yards) of the intersection with 'victor' but I acknowledged the instruction anyway. As we approached the intersection of 'victor' and 'whiskey', commuter Y slowed down and then stopped. Since we were told to give way to him, we also stopped and by doing so, our tail was still blocking runway 28C. There was an aircraft in position on runway 28L but since we were blocking the runway, that aircraft was unable to depart (nor was he cleared to). This situation upset the tower controller and even though we were complying with tower controller instructions, tower controller seemed more mad at us than at aircraft Y. We informed tower controller that we were trying to comply with tower controller instructions, but we were now going ahead of aircraft Y in order to clear the runway, since Y was still stopped. Tower controller then said that we never acknowledged the instruction to give way to aircraft Y, and at that point, the captain took over the radio and informed tower controller that we had. I feel that the controller used poor judgement in directing us to give way to an aircraft so far from the intersection when the result was blocking a runway. The fact that aircraft Y attempted to give way to us caused the runway to be blocked for an even longer time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR CTLR INSTRUCTIONS RESULTED IN ACR PARTIALLY BLOCKING A RWY AND SUBSEQUENT DELAY TO ACFT IN TKOF POS.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 28L AND TWR TOLD US TO TAXI VIA 'VICTOR' BUT HOLD SHORT OF 28C. AT THIS POINT WE WERE THE SECOND ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF THAT RWY. THE FREQ WAS BUSY BUT WE GOT CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW THE ACFT AHEAD OF US ACROSS RWY 28C, BUT TO GIVE WAY TO, AND FOLLOW, COMMUTER Y TAXIING EBOUND ON TAXIWAY 'WHISKEY' AND THEN CONTACT GND. ACFT Y WAS QUITE A WAY W (ABOUT 300-400 YARDS) OF THE INTXN WITH 'VICTOR' BUT I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTION ANYWAY. AS WE APCHED THE INTXN OF 'VICTOR' AND 'WHISKEY', COMMUTER Y SLOWED DOWN AND THEN STOPPED. SINCE WE WERE TOLD TO GIVE WAY TO HIM, WE ALSO STOPPED AND BY DOING SO, OUR TAIL WAS STILL BLOCKING RWY 28C. THERE WAS AN ACFT IN POS ON RWY 28L BUT SINCE WE WERE BLOCKING THE RWY, THAT ACFT WAS UNABLE TO DEPART (NOR WAS HE CLRED TO). THIS SITUATION UPSET THE TWR CTLR AND EVEN THOUGH WE WERE COMPLYING WITH TWR CTLR INSTRUCTIONS, TWR CTLR SEEMED MORE MAD AT US THAN AT ACFT Y. WE INFORMED TWR CTLR THAT WE WERE TRYING TO COMPLY WITH TWR CTLR INSTRUCTIONS, BUT WE WERE NOW GOING AHEAD OF ACFT Y IN ORDER TO CLEAR THE RWY, SINCE Y WAS STILL STOPPED. TWR CTLR THEN SAID THAT WE NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTION TO GIVE WAY TO ACFT Y, AND AT THAT POINT, THE CAPT TOOK OVER THE RADIO AND INFORMED TWR CTLR THAT WE HAD. I FEEL THAT THE CTLR USED POOR JUDGEMENT IN DIRECTING US TO GIVE WAY TO AN ACFT SO FAR FROM THE INTXN WHEN THE RESULT WAS BLOCKING A RWY. THE FACT THAT ACFT Y ATTEMPTED TO GIVE WAY TO US CAUSED THE RWY TO BE BLOCKED FOR AN EVEN LONGER TIME.

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.