Narrative:

Returning from a local IFR-training flight with VOR/DME-approach, we landed on the active runway 23L at dusseldorf (eddl) and were told by tower, while rolling out on runway 23L. 'Nxx' turn left at charlie and taxi via microphone and victor to gat (GA terminal).' on evenings or other times with little traffic it is not unusual to receive taxi-instructions by the tower controller at dusseldorf and to stay 'on this' (ie, tower --) frequency. It was, however, almost noon but still not much traffic at germany's second busiest airport, so it did not appear to be unusual for us, so we cleared runway 23L at 'C,' finished our after-landing checklist, tuned in ground on the radio and continued taxiing to our destination. However, we did not receive any specific instruction as to which frequency to remain on or to switch to. As we taxied on the parallel taxiway M swbound we approached the next turn-off 'B' and noticed a boeing 767 that apparently just had rolled out after landing on runway 23L and approached 'M' on the 'B' -- turnoff on a course that was to intersect ours. We actually discussed this and wondered if they had seen us and if they would stop or whatever instruction they might have received (which we haven't heard on the ground frequency), so we carried on, unconsciously deviating to the left from the centerline and watching the 'big bird.' as seconds were passing and we were getting closer on converging courses. I was actually starting to take over controls from my student, break left and do a quick 180 degree-turn on the taxiway, the pilots were visibly being compressed. At this moment we were exactly in front of the 767, approximately 1/2 airplane -- length (in terms of the 767 ft dimensions) away from it. I got on the radio and asked the controller to confirm that we actually were cleared to taxi to the gat, and he came back saying like: 'affirmative, and sorry for that incident before.' I have the following explanations for the incident: 1) tower forgot to coordination his clearance with the applicable ground-controller and failed to give us instructions regarding the frequency to monitor. 2) the pilots of the 767 got taxi instructions to their gate from tower -- like we did - - but the controllers simply forgot about that little mooney on taxiway M. Whatever the reason might have been, next time I will not wait and situation along like a passenger and let a potentially dangerous situation develop. There would have been enough time to question the other airplane's intentions and/or to ask ground for clarification. But the pilots of the 767 also would have been well advised to look left and right for other aircraft on the taxiway and apron they were about to enter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR, THE INSTRUCTOR AND HIS STUDENT TAXIED THEIR MOONEY NOSE TO NOSE WITH A 767.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM A LCL IFR-TRAINING FLT WITH VOR/DME-APCH, WE LANDED ON THE ACTIVE RWY 23L AT DUSSELDORF (EDDL) AND WERE TOLD BY TWR, WHILE ROLLING OUT ON RWY 23L. 'NXX' TURN L AT CHARLIE AND TAXI VIA MIKE AND VICTOR TO GAT (GA TERMINAL).' ON EVENINGS OR OTHER TIMES WITH LITTLE TFC IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO RECEIVE TAXI-INSTRUCTIONS BY THE TWR CTLR AT DUSSELDORF AND TO STAY 'ON THIS' (IE, TWR --) FREQ. IT WAS, HOWEVER, ALMOST NOON BUT STILL NOT MUCH TFC AT GERMANY'S SECOND BUSIEST ARPT, SO IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE UNUSUAL FOR US, SO WE CLRED RWY 23L AT 'C,' FINISHED OUR AFTER-LNDG CHKLIST, TUNED IN GND ON THE RADIO AND CONTINUED TAXIING TO OUR DEST. HOWEVER, WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION AS TO WHICH FREQ TO REMAIN ON OR TO SWITCH TO. AS WE TAXIED ON THE PARALLEL TXWY M SWBOUND WE APCHED THE NEXT TURN-OFF 'B' AND NOTICED A BOEING 767 THAT APPARENTLY JUST HAD ROLLED OUT AFTER LNDG ON RWY 23L AND APCHED 'M' ON THE 'B' -- TURNOFF ON A COURSE THAT WAS TO INTERSECT OURS. WE ACTUALLY DISCUSSED THIS AND WONDERED IF THEY HAD SEEN US AND IF THEY WOULD STOP OR WHATEVER INSTRUCTION THEY MIGHT HAVE RECEIVED (WHICH WE HAVEN'T HEARD ON THE GND FREQ), SO WE CARRIED ON, UNCONSCIOUSLY DEVIATING TO THE L FROM THE CTRLINE AND WATCHING THE 'BIG BIRD.' AS SECONDS WERE PASSING AND WE WERE GETTING CLOSER ON CONVERGING COURSES. I WAS ACTUALLY STARTING TO TAKE OVER CTLS FROM MY STUDENT, BREAK L AND DO A QUICK 180 DEG-TURN ON THE TXWY, THE PLTS WERE VISIBLY BEING COMPRESSED. AT THIS MOMENT WE WERE EXACTLY IN FRONT OF THE 767, APPROX 1/2 AIRPLANE -- LENGTH (IN TERMS OF THE 767 FT DIMENSIONS) AWAY FROM IT. I GOT ON THE RADIO AND ASKED THE CTLR TO CONFIRM THAT WE ACTUALLY WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO THE GAT, AND HE CAME BACK SAYING LIKE: 'AFFIRMATIVE, AND SORRY FOR THAT INCIDENT BEFORE.' I HAVE THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATIONS FOR THE INCIDENT: 1) TWR FORGOT TO COORD HIS CLRNC WITH THE APPLICABLE GND-CTLR AND FAILED TO GIVE US INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE FREQ TO MONITOR. 2) THE PLTS OF THE 767 GOT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO THEIR GATE FROM TWR -- LIKE WE DID - - BUT THE CTLRS SIMPLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT LITTLE MOONEY ON TXWY M. WHATEVER THE REASON MIGHT HAVE BEEN, NEXT TIME I WILL NOT WAIT AND SIT ALONG LIKE A PAX AND LET A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT DEVELOP. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TIME TO QUESTION THE OTHER AIRPLANE'S INTENTIONS AND/OR TO ASK GND FOR CLARIFICATION. BUT THE PLTS OF THE 767 ALSO WOULD HAVE BEEN WELL ADVISED TO LOOK L AND R FOR OTHER ACFT ON THE TXWY AND APRON THEY WERE ABOUT TO ENTER.

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.