Narrative:

Upon arrival in the ama area, we were sequenced into the landing sequence. Our flight was placed behind an small aircraft on approach. In order to maintain a safe distance behind the small aircraft we slowed to vref (approximately 100 KTS). We were followed in the landing sequence by several other aircraft. The tower controller seemed extremely busy. On short final, the small aircraft was instructed to expedite off of the runway as our flight was closely behind. We heard no other instructions issued to the small aircraft after the small aircraft cleared the runway, we were cleared and did land. Realizing that there were numerous aircraft in the arrival sequence, we planned to exit the runway as soon as possible at alpha. After touchdown and during rollout, the MTR went around, passing to our left. We received no taxi or radio instructions prior to exiting the runway (04) at alpha. Since we had received no taxi or radio frequency instructions prior to exiting the runway, we tuned ama ground and determined that the same controller was working both frequencys. Not wishing to impede any other arrs from exiting the runway at alpha, and taxiway papa appearing clear, we followed the small aircraft on taxi toward the terminal. During this time, conversation by the controller was pretty much continuous. As we approached the xx turnoff, an medium large transport stated that someone was on the taxiway. Upon inquiry by the controller, we acknowledged that we were on 'papa'. The controller then chastised us for not calling him and instructed us to utilize the xx turnoff and allow the medium large transport to pass after confirming that we could do so. After the medium large transport passed, we were given taxi instructions to the ramp. When departing the ama area, we inquired through our station as to any possible problem and were told that we were to contact the tower for instructions prior to exiting the runway. Since this requirement could seriously hamper safety, I made further inquiry with our flight control. Flight control advised that we were to exit the runway, stop, then contact ground. Each of these scenarios seems to be inherently filled with possible safety problems. The issues are: when not issued a taxi or radio frequency instructions prior to exiting a runway, should the pilot: 1) continue to taxi while monitoring for instructions, thus intercepting converging traffic? 2) continue to taxi while calling for instructions, thus intercepting converging traffic? 3) clear the runway and stop, thus causing following traffic to stop on the runway until instructions received? 4) stop in the runway until taxi and radio instructions are received, thus causing following traffic to go around? When the controller is extremely busy, traffic is heavy, and only one path to/from a runway available, what does the pilot do?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MDT COMMUTER TURNED OFF RWY ASAP AFTER LNDG. FOLLOWED AN SMA TAXIING. HAD MINOR CONFLICT WITH ACR MLG WANTING TO TAXI ON THEIR TAXIWAY. TWR CHASTISED COMMUTER CAPT FOR NOT WAITING FOR TAXI INSTRUCTION.

Narrative: UPON ARR IN THE AMA AREA, WE WERE SEQUENCED INTO THE LNDG SEQUENCE. OUR FLT WAS PLACED BEHIND AN SMA ON APCH. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE BEHIND THE SMA WE SLOWED TO VREF (APPROX 100 KTS). WE WERE FOLLOWED IN THE LNDG SEQUENCE BY SEVERAL OTHER ACFT. THE TWR CTLR SEEMED EXTREMELY BUSY. ON SHORT FINAL, THE SMA WAS INSTRUCTED TO EXPEDITE OFF OF THE RWY AS OUR FLT WAS CLOSELY BEHIND. WE HEARD NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED TO THE SMA AFTER THE SMA CLRED THE RWY, WE WERE CLRED AND DID LAND. REALIZING THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT IN THE ARR SEQUENCE, WE PLANNED TO EXIT THE RWY ASAP AT ALPHA. AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND DURING ROLLOUT, THE MTR WENT AROUND, PASSING TO OUR L. WE RECEIVED NO TAXI OR RADIO INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO EXITING THE RWY (04) AT ALPHA. SINCE WE HAD RECEIVED NO TAXI OR RADIO FREQ INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO EXITING THE RWY, WE TUNED AMA GND AND DETERMINED THAT THE SAME CTLR WAS WORKING BOTH FREQS. NOT WISHING TO IMPEDE ANY OTHER ARRS FROM EXITING THE RWY AT ALPHA, AND TAXIWAY PAPA APPEARING CLR, WE FOLLOWED THE SMA ON TAXI TOWARD THE TERMINAL. DURING THIS TIME, CONVERSATION BY THE CTLR WAS PRETTY MUCH CONTINUOUS. AS WE APCHED THE XX TURNOFF, AN MLG STATED THAT SOMEONE WAS ON THE TAXIWAY. UPON INQUIRY BY THE CTLR, WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE WERE ON 'PAPA'. THE CTLR THEN CHASTISED US FOR NOT CALLING HIM AND INSTRUCTED US TO UTILIZE THE XX TURNOFF AND ALLOW THE MLG TO PASS AFTER CONFIRMING THAT WE COULD DO SO. AFTER THE MLG PASSED, WE WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO THE RAMP. WHEN DEPARTING THE AMA AREA, WE INQUIRED THROUGH OUR STATION AS TO ANY POSSIBLE PROBLEM AND WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE TO CONTACT THE TWR FOR INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO EXITING THE RWY. SINCE THIS REQUIREMENT COULD SERIOUSLY HAMPER SAFETY, I MADE FURTHER INQUIRY WITH OUR FLT CTL. FLT CTL ADVISED THAT WE WERE TO EXIT THE RWY, STOP, THEN CONTACT GND. EACH OF THESE SCENARIOS SEEMS TO BE INHERENTLY FILLED WITH POSSIBLE SAFETY PROBLEMS. THE ISSUES ARE: WHEN NOT ISSUED A TAXI OR RADIO FREQ INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO EXITING A RWY, SHOULD THE PLT: 1) CONTINUE TO TAXI WHILE MONITORING FOR INSTRUCTIONS, THUS INTERCEPTING CONVERGING TFC? 2) CONTINUE TO TAXI WHILE CALLING FOR INSTRUCTIONS, THUS INTERCEPTING CONVERGING TFC? 3) CLR THE RWY AND STOP, THUS CAUSING FOLLOWING TFC TO STOP ON THE RWY UNTIL INSTRUCTIONS RECEIVED? 4) STOP IN THE RWY UNTIL TAXI AND RADIO INSTRUCTIONS ARE RECEIVED, THUS CAUSING FOLLOWING TFC TO GAR? WHEN THE CTLR IS EXTREMELY BUSY, TFC IS HVY, AND ONLY ONE PATH TO/FROM A RWY AVAILABLE, WHAT DOES THE PLT DO?

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.