Narrative:

We were taxiing from the air carrier B commuter terminal at sfo from the front row of aircraft. In this area of the airport, aircraft are 'on their own' since ground does not have control over the 'freedom area' due to numerous maintenance operations. Prior to initiating taxi, I completed the after start checklist by calling 'ground equipment removed and clear,' also noting an air carrier cargo airlines widebody transport approaching from the main taxiway. At the behest of our ramp we moved forward maybe 15-20 ft. When I first saw the widebody transport prior to brake release, he was well outside the freedom area, but now, as we began to move forward, it became apparent that due to the excessive (I think) taxi speed of the widebody transport, a conflict was rapidly developing. We stopped. Company policy prohibits the use of reverse to back up so we stayed put. The widebody transport continued to taxi slowing only moderately as he passed us by, clearing us with both vertical and horizontal separation of about 10 ft and 30 ft respectively. Following his passage we taxied normally to the point where ground is initially contacted at the air carrier C blast fence. As we taxied, someone (presumably the captain) stated that, 'that little commuter moved out way too far,' on ground frequency. As we had not called ground yet the ground controller could not respond to air carrier cargo's inquiry about our flight number. We then called for taxi and were cleared to taxi to runway 1L. The ground controller explained to air carrier cargo the rules of the freedom area which generated no satisfaction from their pilot. He insisted on making a report with someone official. As we reached gate we were switched to the second ground frequency and prior to changing I inquired with ground about whether he anticipated any problems stemming from this event to which he replied 'no.' I also stated my opinion that his taxi speed was excessive and was a contributory factor in the incident. I thought that was the end of it. 2 days later, I received a call from our chief pilot who said that he had spoken to the air carrier captain who was going to pursue the incident with the FAA. The captain claimed that he heard remarks followed by laughter regarding the incident from us on ground frequency. He claimed the remarks were defamatory and he didn't appreciate them. No such remarks were made by us at any time on any control frequency. Whatever he heard, we didn't say it. In my opinion the air carrier's taxi speed required the full attention of the captain in the narrowing space into which he was moving. He probably did not see us until it was too late for him to be able to stop his airplane which forced him to rely on us to avoid a conflict. My guess is he was alarmed when this became apparent to him and he had to take it out on someone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB CAPT ACCUSED LTT CREW OF TAXIING INTO THEIR PATH.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING FROM THE ACR B COMMUTER TERMINAL AT SFO FROM THE FRONT ROW OF ACFT. IN THIS AREA OF THE ARPT, ACFT ARE 'ON THEIR OWN' SINCE GND DOES NOT HAVE CTL OVER THE 'FREEDOM AREA' DUE TO NUMEROUS MAINT OPS. PRIOR TO INITIATING TAXI, I COMPLETED THE AFTER START CHKLIST BY CALLING 'GND EQUIP REMOVED AND CLR,' ALSO NOTING AN ACR CARGO AIRLINES WDB APCHING FROM THE MAIN TXWY. AT THE BEHEST OF OUR RAMP WE MOVED FORWARD MAYBE 15-20 FT. WHEN I FIRST SAW THE WDB PRIOR TO BRAKE RELEASE, HE WAS WELL OUTSIDE THE FREEDOM AREA, BUT NOW, AS WE BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE (I THINK) TAXI SPD OF THE WDB, A CONFLICT WAS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING. WE STOPPED. COMPANY POLICY PROHIBITS THE USE OF REVERSE TO BACK UP SO WE STAYED PUT. THE WDB CONTINUED TO TAXI SLOWING ONLY MODERATELY AS HE PASSED US BY, CLRING US WITH BOTH VERT AND HORIZ SEPARATION OF ABOUT 10 FT AND 30 FT RESPECTIVELY. FOLLOWING HIS PASSAGE WE TAXIED NORMALLY TO THE POINT WHERE GND IS INITIALLY CONTACTED AT THE ACR C BLAST FENCE. AS WE TAXIED, SOMEONE (PRESUMABLY THE CAPT) STATED THAT, 'THAT LITTLE COMMUTER MOVED OUT WAY TOO FAR,' ON GND FREQ. AS WE HAD NOT CALLED GND YET THE GND CTLR COULD NOT RESPOND TO ACR CARGO'S INQUIRY ABOUT OUR FLT NUMBER. WE THEN CALLED FOR TAXI AND WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 1L. THE GND CTLR EXPLAINED TO ACR CARGO THE RULES OF THE FREEDOM AREA WHICH GENERATED NO SATISFACTION FROM THEIR PLT. HE INSISTED ON MAKING A RPT WITH SOMEONE OFFICIAL. AS WE REACHED GATE WE WERE SWITCHED TO THE SECOND GND FREQ AND PRIOR TO CHANGING I INQUIRED WITH GND ABOUT WHETHER HE ANTICIPATED ANY PROBS STEMMING FROM THIS EVENT TO WHICH HE REPLIED 'NO.' I ALSO STATED MY OPINION THAT HIS TAXI SPD WAS EXCESSIVE AND WAS A CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR IN THE INCIDENT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE END OF IT. 2 DAYS LATER, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR CHIEF PLT WHO SAID THAT HE HAD SPOKEN TO THE ACR CAPT WHO WAS GOING TO PURSUE THE INCIDENT WITH THE FAA. THE CAPT CLAIMED THAT HE HEARD REMARKS FOLLOWED BY LAUGHTER REGARDING THE INCIDENT FROM US ON GND FREQ. HE CLAIMED THE REMARKS WERE DEFAMATORY AND HE DIDN'T APPRECIATE THEM. NO SUCH REMARKS WERE MADE BY US AT ANY TIME ON ANY CTL FREQ. WHATEVER HE HEARD, WE DIDN'T SAY IT. IN MY OPINION THE ACR'S TAXI SPD REQUIRED THE FULL ATTN OF THE CAPT IN THE NARROWING SPACE INTO WHICH HE WAS MOVING. HE PROBABLY DID NOT SEE US UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO STOP HIS AIRPLANE WHICH FORCED HIM TO RELY ON US TO AVOID A CONFLICT. MY GUESS IS HE WAS ALARMED WHEN THIS BECAME APPARENT TO HIM AND HE HAD TO TAKE IT OUT ON SOMEONE.

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.