Narrative:

Air carrier X landed on runway 27L at atl. X exited the runway at the second high speed taxiway and were instructed by the tower controller to hold short of runway 27R at taxiway T. We were subsequently cleared to cross runway 27R and instructed to contact ground control on 121.75. The ground controllers normally clear us to taxi to our ramp entry way, as the ramp areas themselves are under company control. The distance to the entry to ramp 1 on the south side of the airport is approximately 100 yards from a point where you are clear of runway 27R on taxiway T. We slowed after crossing runway 27R in order to receive a clearance to the ramp entry -- which is almost straight ahead. The ground control frequency was extremely busy because the ground controller was constantly initiating communications with aircraft that had already taxied out and were in line for takeoff. These communications consisted of both directives and questions. Example: 'you can start another engine now and move the line up a bit.' at no time did any aircraft crew have an opportunity to initiate a call. All communications were initiated by the ground controller and only to the 15 or so aircraft who were on the east side of the airport. There were no other aircraft movements on the south side of the airport, west of ramp 5, except for the aircraft that was cleared to cross runway 27R behind us. Because we were aware of his clearance, I did not stop immediately after clearing runway 27R, but pulled up far enough for him to cross the runway and be clear himself. Since there was no other traffic within a 1/2 mi of us and the only logical way to get to ramp 1 was to proceed straight ahead, we continued slowly ahead to give the aircraft behind us room to clear the runway, while still trying to break into the constant communications on ground control. We contacted our ramp tower while waiting to talk with ground control, and they cleared us on the ramp to the gate. We still could not break into the ground controller. We proceeded slowly the last 50 yards to the ramp entry and to the gate. We monitored the ground control frequency until we shut off our engines at the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X UNAUTH TAXI TO GATE.

Narrative: ACR X LANDED ON RWY 27L AT ATL. X EXITED THE RWY AT THE SECOND HIGH SPD TXWY AND WERE INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR CTLR TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27R AT TXWY T. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO CROSS RWY 27R AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT GND CTL ON 121.75. THE GND CTLRS NORMALLY CLR US TO TAXI TO OUR RAMP ENTRY WAY, AS THE RAMP AREAS THEMSELVES ARE UNDER COMPANY CTL. THE DISTANCE TO THE ENTRY TO RAMP 1 ON THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT IS APPROX 100 YARDS FROM A POINT WHERE YOU ARE CLR OF RWY 27R ON TXWY T. WE SLOWED AFTER XING RWY 27R IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A CLRNC TO THE RAMP ENTRY -- WHICH IS ALMOST STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE GND CTL FREQ WAS EXTREMELY BUSY BECAUSE THE GND CTLR WAS CONSTANTLY INITIATING COMS WITH ACFT THAT HAD ALREADY TAXIED OUT AND WERE IN LINE FOR TKOF. THESE COMS CONSISTED OF BOTH DIRECTIVES AND QUESTIONS. EXAMPLE: 'YOU CAN START ANOTHER ENG NOW AND MOVE THE LINE UP A BIT.' AT NO TIME DID ANY ACFT CREW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INITIATE A CALL. ALL COMS WERE INITIATED BY THE GND CTLR AND ONLY TO THE 15 OR SO ACFT WHO WERE ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT MOVEMENTS ON THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT, W OF RAMP 5, EXCEPT FOR THE ACFT THAT WAS CLRED TO CROSS RWY 27R BEHIND US. BECAUSE WE WERE AWARE OF HIS CLRNC, I DID NOT STOP IMMEDIATELY AFTER CLRING RWY 27R, BUT PULLED UP FAR ENOUGH FOR HIM TO CROSS THE RWY AND BE CLR HIMSELF. SINCE THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC WITHIN A 1/2 MI OF US AND THE ONLY LOGICAL WAY TO GET TO RAMP 1 WAS TO PROCEED STRAIGHT AHEAD, WE CONTINUED SLOWLY AHEAD TO GIVE THE ACFT BEHIND US ROOM TO CLR THE RWY, WHILE STILL TRYING TO BREAK INTO THE CONSTANT COMS ON GND CTL. WE CONTACTED OUR RAMP TWR WHILE WAITING TO TALK WITH GND CTL, AND THEY CLRED US ON THE RAMP TO THE GATE. WE STILL COULD NOT BREAK INTO THE GND CTLR. WE PROCEEDED SLOWLY THE LAST 50 YARDS TO THE RAMP ENTRY AND TO THE GATE. WE MONITORED THE GND CTL FREQ UNTIL WE SHUT OFF OUR ENGS AT THE GATE.

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.