Narrative:

Air carrier X landed on runway 25L at lax international airport. After holding short of runway 25R, we were directed to cross runway 25R and contact ground control (we crossed runway 25R on taxiway 45, see attached diagram). Ground control told us to turn right on the outer taxiway (J) hold short of taxiway 42 and an air carrier Y widebody transport (exiting runway 25R) would pass behind us. As we turned east on the outer taxiway, air carrier Y stopped on the high speed exit 42, runway 25R. A commuter aircraft prevented us from taxiing far enough east to completely clear the 42 diagonal taxiway while holding short of taxiway 42 connecting the inner and outer taxiways and allowing air carrier Y to pass behind us. When air carrier Y stated he could not pass behind us, the commuter aircraft and we were directed to taxi up to taxiway 36 to allow air carrier Y to enter the outer taxiway. We were then told to contact the tower after blocking in at our gate. The ground controller stated that because they conduct visual approachs at lax and because of the close proximity of operations, it is the air crew's responsibility to stop on taxiways and allow aircraft to exit runways. This was in conflict with his instructions to hold short of taxiway 42 and air carrier Y will pass behind you. My concern in filing this form is the ground controller's implication that it is the air crew's responsibility to decide when to stop on taxiways to allow other aircraft to exit runways regardless of previous instructions. Of course we always attempt to avoid conflicts, but I do not believe it is the crew's duty to make 'controllers' decisions. Also I believe it is confusing at lax that high speed turnoff 42 and connector taxiway 42 do not connect in a continuous line (this is also true of high speed 36 and taxiway 36). Perhaps the high speed turnoffs or connector taxiways need to be renumbered so that when told to hold short of taxiway 42 (or 36) it is clear exactly which taxiway 42 is meant. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the lax facility manager was contacted to see if the reporter's statement by the FAA supervisor was correct. The manager stated it is the ground controller's responsibility to insure an aircraft exiting the runway can clear onto the taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y UNABLE TO CLR RWY BECAUSE ACR X HAD TAXIWAY BLOCKED.

Narrative: ACR X LANDED ON RWY 25L AT LAX INTL ARPT. AFTER HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 25R, WE WERE DIRECTED TO CROSS RWY 25R AND CONTACT GND CTL (WE CROSSED RWY 25R ON TAXIWAY 45, SEE ATTACHED DIAGRAM). GND CTL TOLD US TO TURN R ON THE OUTER TAXIWAY (J) HOLD SHORT OF TAXIWAY 42 AND AN ACR Y WDB (EXITING RWY 25R) WOULD PASS BEHIND US. AS WE TURNED E ON THE OUTER TAXIWAY, ACR Y STOPPED ON THE HIGH SPD EXIT 42, RWY 25R. A COMMUTER ACFT PREVENTED US FROM TAXIING FAR ENOUGH E TO COMPLETELY CLR THE 42 DIAGONAL TAXIWAY WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF TAXIWAY 42 CONNECTING THE INNER AND OUTER TAXIWAYS AND ALLOWING ACR Y TO PASS BEHIND US. WHEN ACR Y STATED HE COULD NOT PASS BEHIND US, THE COMMUTER ACFT AND WE WERE DIRECTED TO TAXI UP TO TAXIWAY 36 TO ALLOW ACR Y TO ENTER THE OUTER TAXIWAY. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR AFTER BLOCKING IN AT OUR GATE. THE GND CTLR STATED THAT BECAUSE THEY CONDUCT VISUAL APCHS AT LAX AND BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE PROX OF OPS, IT IS THE AIR CREW'S RESPONSIBILITY TO STOP ON TAXIWAYS AND ALLOW ACFT TO EXIT RWYS. THIS WAS IN CONFLICT WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD SHORT OF TAXIWAY 42 AND ACR Y WILL PASS BEHIND YOU. MY CONCERN IN FILING THIS FORM IS THE GND CTLR'S IMPLICATION THAT IT IS THE AIR CREW'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DECIDE WHEN TO STOP ON TAXIWAYS TO ALLOW OTHER ACFT TO EXIT RWYS REGARDLESS OF PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS. OF COURSE WE ALWAYS ATTEMPT TO AVOID CONFLICTS, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS THE CREW'S DUTY TO MAKE 'CTLRS' DECISIONS. ALSO I BELIEVE IT IS CONFUSING AT LAX THAT HIGH SPD TURNOFF 42 AND CONNECTOR TAXIWAY 42 DO NOT CONNECT IN A CONTINUOUS LINE (THIS IS ALSO TRUE OF HIGH SPD 36 AND TAXIWAY 36). PERHAPS THE HIGH SPD TURNOFFS OR CONNECTOR TAXIWAYS NEED TO BE RENUMBERED SO THAT WHEN TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF TAXIWAY 42 (OR 36) IT IS CLR EXACTLY WHICH TAXIWAY 42 IS MEANT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE LAX FACILITY MGR WAS CONTACTED TO SEE IF THE RPTR'S STATEMENT BY THE FAA SUPVR WAS CORRECT. THE MGR STATED IT IS THE GND CTLR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO INSURE AN ACFT EXITING THE RWY CAN CLR ONTO THE TAXIWAY.

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.