Narrative:

While departing the gate at buffalo the other day we encountered a situation which I believe has the potential for a disaster. It seems to be a common practice for ATC towers to man 2 tower positions with 1 person during slack hours or when someone is on break, etc. Arriving flts were given clearance while on the active runway to '...stay with me and cleared to the gate...'. Departing flts, pushing back on the ramp are not controled by ground control, but common sense and practice is to monitor ground control when released by ground handling personnel. We heard no traffic on ground frequency and were starting to move and call ground control simultaneously, when we were almost rammed by another carrier taxiing at high speed from our right rear quarter. We had no warning he was approaching of course, because he was on 'tower' frequency and he had no idea that we were going to move because we were on 'ground' frequency. This situation could easily have been avoided had the tower assigned both of us to the same frequency! My suggestion: do not accept a clearance to taxi on the tower frequency unless tower assures you all aircraft moving on the ground will be on your frequency! This includes taxiing inbound or outbound. I certainly will not accept this type of clearance again and would like to alert all pilots to this potential for disaster at any airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG AFTER PUSHBACK AND STARTING TO MOVE ON RAMP HAD ANOTHER MLG PASS FAST TAXI BEHIND THEM VERY CLOSE.

Narrative: WHILE DEPARTING THE GATE AT BUFFALO THE OTHER DAY WE ENCOUNTERED A SITUATION WHICH I BELIEVE HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR A DISASTER. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PRACTICE FOR ATC TWRS TO MAN 2 TWR POSITIONS WITH 1 PERSON DURING SLACK HRS OR WHEN SOMEONE IS ON BREAK, ETC. ARRIVING FLTS WERE GIVEN CLRNC WHILE ON THE ACTIVE RWY TO '...STAY WITH ME AND CLRED TO THE GATE...'. DEPARTING FLTS, PUSHING BACK ON THE RAMP ARE NOT CTLED BY GND CTL, BUT COMMON SENSE AND PRACTICE IS TO MONITOR GND CTL WHEN RELEASED BY GND HANDLING PERSONNEL. WE HEARD NO TFC ON GND FREQ AND WERE STARTING TO MOVE AND CALL GND CTL SIMULTANEOUSLY, WHEN WE WERE ALMOST RAMMED BY ANOTHER CARRIER TAXIING AT HIGH SPD FROM OUR R REAR QUARTER. WE HAD NO WARNING HE WAS APCHING OF COURSE, BECAUSE HE WAS ON 'TWR' FREQ AND HE HAD NO IDEA THAT WE WERE GOING TO MOVE BECAUSE WE WERE ON 'GND' FREQ. THIS SITUATION COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE TWR ASSIGNED BOTH OF US TO THE SAME FREQ! MY SUGGESTION: DO NOT ACCEPT A CLRNC TO TAXI ON THE TWR FREQ UNLESS TWR ASSURES YOU ALL ACFT MOVING ON THE GND WILL BE ON YOUR FREQ! THIS INCLUDES TAXIING INBOUND OR OUTBOUND. I CERTAINLY WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS TYPE OF CLRNC AGAIN AND WOULD LIKE TO ALERT ALL PLTS TO THIS POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER AT ANY ARPT.

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.