Narrative:

First let me say that I have had an aircraft based at dca for over 8 yrs, so I am intimately familiar with both the airport and its procedures. I also believe that the finest air traffic controllers on the planet work at that airport -- they're my friends and we take care of each other on a daily basis to make it all work. There is, however, this problem (which has recently been brought to my attention) that is not specific to dca as I run into it other places as well: typically at night the local controller is handling ground control as well and will tell a landing aircraft to taxi to the gate and 'remain this (tower) frequency.' I still do not know exactly what happened this night, but I do not remember any local type instructions on the ground frequency. As we were taxiing to runway 18, an air carrier jet appeared coming on to the main ramp from taxiway D and it was apparent that he had no intention of stopping before he did so. I yielded our right of way with what I shall call 'concerned' braking. Air carrier remained on the tower frequency to his gate and the local controller took responsibility for the incident by his not instructing one of us to give way. From an operational standpoint it seems that when local and ground are combined that maybe everyone ought to be on the same, i.e., tower frequency. This can be indicated in the ATIS broadcast. A contributing factor seems to have been a rush to reach the gate on the part of the airline crew. I say this because by the time we both reached the north end of the field he had outrun me by a good 1/4 mi. This virtually never happens. An airliner, by its sheer size and mass is typically taxied at a much slower speed than can be safely done in a smaller airplane, especially at a confined airport such as dca. My theory is that airplane was moving so fast that no one had time to look anywhere except straight down at that yellow line. My airplane had quite a few lights illuminated at the time, to include dual navigation lights at each station, taxi lights on each main gear leg, upper and lower rotating beacons and logo lights on the tail.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP ACFT BRAKES RAPIDLY TO AVOID ACR TAXIING AT HIGH SPD.

Narrative: FIRST LET ME SAY THAT I HAVE HAD AN ACFT BASED AT DCA FOR OVER 8 YRS, SO I AM INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH BOTH THE ARPT AND ITS PROCS. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE FINEST AIR TFC CTLRS ON THE PLANET WORK AT THAT ARPT -- THEY'RE MY FRIENDS AND WE TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER ON A DAILY BASIS TO MAKE IT ALL WORK. THERE IS, HOWEVER, THIS PROB (WHICH HAS RECENTLY BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTN) THAT IS NOT SPECIFIC TO DCA AS I RUN INTO IT OTHER PLACES AS WELL: TYPICALLY AT NIGHT THE LCL CTLR IS HANDLING GND CTL AS WELL AND WILL TELL A LNDG ACFT TO TAXI TO THE GATE AND 'REMAIN THIS (TWR) FREQ.' I STILL DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED THIS NIGHT, BUT I DO NOT REMEMBER ANY LCL TYPE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE GND FREQ. AS WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 18, AN ACR JET APPEARED COMING ON TO THE MAIN RAMP FROM TXWY D AND IT WAS APPARENT THAT HE HAD NO INTENTION OF STOPPING BEFORE HE DID SO. I YIELDED OUR RIGHT OF WAY WITH WHAT I SHALL CALL 'CONCERNED' BRAKING. ACR REMAINED ON THE TWR FREQ TO HIS GATE AND THE LCL CTLR TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INCIDENT BY HIS NOT INSTRUCTING ONE OF US TO GIVE WAY. FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT IT SEEMS THAT WHEN LCL AND GND ARE COMBINED THAT MAYBE EVERYONE OUGHT TO BE ON THE SAME, I.E., TWR FREQ. THIS CAN BE INDICATED IN THE ATIS BROADCAST. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A RUSH TO REACH THE GATE ON THE PART OF THE AIRLINE CREW. I SAY THIS BECAUSE BY THE TIME WE BOTH REACHED THE N END OF THE FIELD HE HAD OUTRUN ME BY A GOOD 1/4 MI. THIS VIRTUALLY NEVER HAPPENS. AN AIRLINER, BY ITS SHEER SIZE AND MASS IS TYPICALLY TAXIED AT A MUCH SLOWER SPD THAN CAN BE SAFELY DONE IN A SMALLER AIRPLANE, ESPECIALLY AT A CONFINED ARPT SUCH AS DCA. MY THEORY IS THAT AIRPLANE WAS MOVING SO FAST THAT NO ONE HAD TIME TO LOOK ANYWHERE EXCEPT STRAIGHT DOWN AT THAT YELLOW LINE. MY AIRPLANE HAD QUITE A FEW LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME, TO INCLUDE DUAL NAV LIGHTS AT EACH STATION, TAXI LIGHTS ON EACH MAIN GEAR LEG, UPPER AND LOWER ROTATING BEACONS AND LOGO LIGHTS ON THE TAIL.

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.