Narrative:

After engine start at gate, ground control cleared us to runway 31R via right turn onto the inner taxiway, to hold short at foxtrot intersection. I wrote the clearance down, read it back to ground control and checked the routing on the map. We began the taxi. The captain saw other air carrier flight (air carrier Y) moving indecisively from the ramp towards our taxiway (at delta intersection). Captain slowed almost to a stop while moving to the left edge of our taxiway to provide more clearance from air carrier Y. I looked up to see what was happening, checked our wingtip clearance from the large transport, then looked at the air carrier Y captain to see if he was going to give us a thumbs up (it was going to be close). The air carrier Y captain was covering his face with his hands! At the same time 1 or maybe 2 voices came over the radio saying 'stop, air carrier X!' we stopped. The large transport was then even with our nose on our right, perpendicular to us, with their nose pointing at our cockpit. We were each subsequently cleared for taxi. We heard no explanation nor questioning about the conflict. My only conclusion was that having my head inside the cockpit during taxi kept me from being much help in assessing what large transport was doing and if we had a safe clearance. I thought I was pretty slow to respond and should have spoken up quicker that we may be too close, since I had the best view from my seat. It was my impression that the ground controller sounded apologetic in his exchange with both flts, so possibly the error was his. The large transport crew asked for the tapes to be pulled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING ACFT INVOLVED IN GND INCIDENT.

Narrative: AFTER ENG START AT GATE, GND CTL CLRED US TO RWY 31R VIA R TURN ONTO THE INNER TAXIWAY, TO HOLD SHORT AT FOXTROT INTXN. I WROTE THE CLRNC DOWN, READ IT BACK TO GND CTL AND CHKED THE ROUTING ON THE MAP. WE BEGAN THE TAXI. THE CAPT SAW OTHER ACR FLT (ACR Y) MOVING INDECISIVELY FROM THE RAMP TOWARDS OUR TAXIWAY (AT DELTA INTXN). CAPT SLOWED ALMOST TO A STOP WHILE MOVING TO THE L EDGE OF OUR TAXIWAY TO PROVIDE MORE CLRNC FROM ACR Y. I LOOKED UP TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING, CHKED OUR WINGTIP CLRNC FROM THE LGT, THEN LOOKED AT THE ACR Y CAPT TO SEE IF HE WAS GOING TO GIVE US A THUMBS UP (IT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSE). THE ACR Y CAPT WAS COVERING HIS FACE WITH HIS HANDS! AT THE SAME TIME 1 OR MAYBE 2 VOICES CAME OVER THE RADIO SAYING 'STOP, ACR X!' WE STOPPED. THE LGT WAS THEN EVEN WITH OUR NOSE ON OUR R, PERPENDICULAR TO US, WITH THEIR NOSE POINTING AT OUR COCKPIT. WE WERE EACH SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR TAXI. WE HEARD NO EXPLANATION NOR QUESTIONING ABOUT THE CONFLICT. MY ONLY CONCLUSION WAS THAT HAVING MY HEAD INSIDE THE COCKPIT DURING TAXI KEPT ME FROM BEING MUCH HELP IN ASSESSING WHAT LGT WAS DOING AND IF WE HAD A SAFE CLRNC. I THOUGHT I WAS PRETTY SLOW TO RESPOND AND SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP QUICKER THAT WE MAY BE TOO CLOSE, SINCE I HAD THE BEST VIEW FROM MY SEAT. IT WAS MY IMPRESSION THAT THE GND CTLR SOUNDED APOLOGETIC IN HIS EXCHANGE WITH BOTH FLTS, SO POSSIBLY THE ERROR WAS HIS. THE LGT CREW ASKED FOR THE TAPES TO BE PULLED.

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.