Narrative:

After pushback and taxi from ramp control, we switched to metering and transmitted 'ready for taxi.' 3 aircraft were in line ahead of us departing the alley. Approaching top of the alley behind the 3RD saab, metering instructed us to follow the 3RD saab out to runway 4L. I switched up ground to monitor for further taxi information and noticed our position moving out of top of the alley. I had the feeling that metering was attempting to sequence us onto the taxiway behind the saabs with concurrence from ground. We saw an air carrier Y DC10 moving into view from our left side at a fast rate on the taxiway we intended to join out of the alley. The captain stopped the aircraft as I mentioned I had not heard from ground yet. We were approximately 15 ft past the hold short line. I told ground control that we were over the line a little and the DC10 could be a conflict. The DC10 right wingtip appeared would come inside 10 ft of our aircraft. Ground informed us that the DC10 was up another frequency and he could not get him to stop to allow us out ahead of him. As the DC10 got closer, the clearance looked inadequate and captain pulled up on the reverse levers to roll back out of the way, approximately 5 ft. Y passed us with less than 10 ft clearance and ground controller stated 'looks like he has enough room, X.' no aircraft were behind us in the alley and the flight proceeded normally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TFC AT ORD.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK AND TAXI FROM RAMP CTL, WE SWITCHED TO METERING AND XMITTED 'READY FOR TAXI.' 3 ACFT WERE IN LINE AHEAD OF US DEPARTING THE ALLEY. APCHING TOP OF THE ALLEY BEHIND THE 3RD SAAB, METERING INSTRUCTED US TO FOLLOW THE 3RD SAAB OUT TO RWY 4L. I SWITCHED UP GND TO MONITOR FOR FURTHER TAXI INFO AND NOTICED OUR POS MOVING OUT OF TOP OF THE ALLEY. I HAD THE FEELING THAT METERING WAS ATTEMPTING TO SEQUENCE US ONTO THE TXWY BEHIND THE SAABS WITH CONCURRENCE FROM GND. WE SAW AN ACR Y DC10 MOVING INTO VIEW FROM OUR L SIDE AT A FAST RATE ON THE TXWY WE INTENDED TO JOIN OUT OF THE ALLEY. THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT AS I MENTIONED I HAD NOT HEARD FROM GND YET. WE WERE APPROX 15 FT PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I TOLD GND CTL THAT WE WERE OVER THE LINE A LITTLE AND THE DC10 COULD BE A CONFLICT. THE DC10 R WINGTIP APPEARED WOULD COME INSIDE 10 FT OF OUR ACFT. GND INFORMED US THAT THE DC10 WAS UP ANOTHER FREQ AND HE COULD NOT GET HIM TO STOP TO ALLOW US OUT AHEAD OF HIM. AS THE DC10 GOT CLOSER, THE CLRNC LOOKED INADEQUATE AND CAPT PULLED UP ON THE REVERSE LEVERS TO ROLL BACK OUT OF THE WAY, APPROX 5 FT. Y PASSED US WITH LESS THAN 10 FT CLRNC AND GND CTLR STATED 'LOOKS LIKE HE HAS ENOUGH ROOM, X.' NO ACFT WERE BEHIND US IN THE ALLEY AND THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY.

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.