Flight crew found their gate occupied.

Attributes
ACN	281254
Time
Date	199408
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : msp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	281254
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

After landing, crossed runway 25R at 42 and contacted ground 121.75 who instructed us to taxi to gate X or hold short of the inner taxiway if gate not open. Captain and myself found it strange that ground did not know gate status being it was her responsibility. We pulled up to the inner, held short, checked the alley, and it appeared that the gate was unoccupied. Captain taxied into alley a short distance where we realized a 757 was still on the gate. Captain turned around in the alley (no conflicts -- no power in the turn itself) and I contacted ground to confess our predicament, and to get clearance out. She said to hold facing north and she would get back to us. I told her we were already facing south, and she said turns were not approved in the alley, and to exit, use the inner, and hold short of Y. No further discussion of the situation occurred on the frequency. Moral of the story: check with company operations 129.22 to make sure of gate avail as our look-see method didn't work. Also we need to clarify ground control's responsibility here as they should know status of gates they control for push.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FOUND THEIR GATE OCCUPIED.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG, CROSSED RWY 25R AT 42 AND CONTACTED GND 121.75 WHO INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO GATE X OR HOLD SHORT OF THE INNER TXWY IF GATE NOT OPEN. CAPT AND MYSELF FOUND IT STRANGE THAT GND DID NOT KNOW GATE STATUS BEING IT WAS HER RESPONSIBILITY. WE PULLED UP TO THE INNER, HELD SHORT, CHKED THE ALLEY, AND IT APPEARED THAT THE GATE WAS UNOCCUPIED. CAPT TAXIED INTO ALLEY A SHORT DISTANCE WHERE WE REALIZED A 757 WAS STILL ON THE GATE. CAPT TURNED AROUND IN THE ALLEY (NO CONFLICTS -- NO PWR IN THE TURN ITSELF) AND I CONTACTED GND TO CONFESS OUR PREDICAMENT, AND TO GET CLRNC OUT. SHE SAID TO HOLD FACING N AND SHE WOULD GET BACK TO US. I TOLD HER WE WERE ALREADY FACING S, AND SHE SAID TURNS WERE NOT APPROVED IN THE ALLEY, AND TO EXIT, USE THE INNER, AND HOLD SHORT OF Y. NO FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE SIT OCCURRED ON THE FREQ. MORAL OF THE STORY: CHK WITH COMPANY OPS 129.22 TO MAKE SURE OF GATE AVAIL AS OUR LOOK-SEE METHOD DIDN'T WORK. ALSO WE NEED TO CLARIFY GND CTL'S RESPONSIBILITY HERE AS THEY SHOULD KNOW STATUS OF GATES THEY CTL FOR PUSH.

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.