Narrative:

The WX was clear and traffic was light as we approached detroit. Arrival kept us high and fast setting us up for what I call a 'super slam dunk.' during the approach I was very busy and focused on getting the airplane configured in time for a stabilized approach. We made a good, stabilized approach -- barely. The captain questioned my airspeed -- said I was 3-5 KTS slow -- my speed showed right on the bug, so we quickly checked to make sure the bugs were set correctly. The flight engineer announced there was a difference in airspeed indicators. We decided that I could fly the speed on my bug. All callouts were normal. On landing rollout I gave the plane back to the captain and assumed my first officer duties on the ground. Before switching to ground control I noticed that the tower frequency was not set in (we had 118.5 instead of 118.4). As I called ground the controller asked if we had seen the green light. Our jumpseater said he saw it, but didn't realize it was for us. All this rattled the captain who has one more month on the line than the engineer and first officer, who were both in the first month of line flying. This is where the fun begins. The captain is shook up and we are at a strange airport, at night. The first taxi instruction is unlike any I've seen (or heard) before. We stopped, verified that we knew where we were going and then started moving again. Soon ground gave us new instructions which I acknowledged. As I referred to my airport diagram I realized that we had just gone through the intersection we were supposed to turn on. As I pointed it out to the captain, ground control called with a pointout and new instructions to continue straight ahead. The latest instruction was different from the original that we'd received after clearing the runway. I acknowledged it and verified with the captain that he understood what ground wanted. He indicated correctly that he understood. I got busy with after landing checks and looked up just in time to see that we'd missed another turn. I pointed it out about the same time that ground did. Fortunately, the WX was excellent and the traffic light. In a different situation this could have been a mess. As a crew we didn't do very well. We were assisted by controllers who pushed us for no apparent reason. We were given 3 sets of taxi instructions, two of which I'd call 'non standard' for this airport. The 'normal' instruction was given with little time to react and carry out. (We were at the intersection when the instruction was given.) ground gave us their number for a little debrief. In the end, this inexperienced crew learned a lot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC DID NOT CONTACT TWR BEFORE LNDG. THE FLC CONTACTED GND WITHOUT BEING TOLD BY TWR. THE FLC DID NOT FOLLOW GND CTL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS CORRECTLY.

Narrative: THE WX WAS CLR AND TFC WAS LIGHT AS WE APCHED DETROIT. ARR KEPT US HIGH AND FAST SETTING US UP FOR WHAT I CALL A 'SUPER SLAM DUNK.' DURING THE APCH I WAS VERY BUSY AND FOCUSED ON GETTING THE AIRPLANE CONFIGURED IN TIME FOR A STABILIZED APCH. WE MADE A GOOD, STABILIZED APCH -- BARELY. THE CAPT QUESTIONED MY AIRSPD -- SAID I WAS 3-5 KTS SLOW -- MY SPD SHOWED RIGHT ON THE BUG, SO WE QUICKLY CHKED TO MAKE SURE THE BUGS WERE SET CORRECTLY. THE FE ANNOUNCED THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE IN AIRSPD INDICATORS. WE DECIDED THAT I COULD FLY THE SPD ON MY BUG. ALL CALLOUTS WERE NORMAL. ON LNDG ROLLOUT I GAVE THE PLANE BACK TO THE CAPT AND ASSUMED MY FO DUTIES ON THE GND. BEFORE SWITCHING TO GND CTL I NOTICED THAT THE TWR FREQ WAS NOT SET IN (WE HAD 118.5 INSTEAD OF 118.4). AS I CALLED GND THE CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD SEEN THE GREEN LIGHT. OUR JUMPSEATER SAID HE SAW IT, BUT DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS FOR US. ALL THIS RATTLED THE CAPT WHO HAS ONE MORE MONTH ON THE LINE THAN THE ENGINEER AND FO, WHO WERE BOTH IN THE FIRST MONTH OF LINE FLYING. THIS IS WHERE THE FUN BEGINS. THE CAPT IS SHOOK UP AND WE ARE AT A STRANGE ARPT, AT NIGHT. THE FIRST TAXI INSTRUCTION IS UNLIKE ANY I'VE SEEN (OR HEARD) BEFORE. WE STOPPED, VERIFIED THAT WE KNEW WHERE WE WERE GOING AND THEN STARTED MOVING AGAIN. SOON GND GAVE US NEW INSTRUCTIONS WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. AS I REFERRED TO MY ARPT DIAGRAM I REALIZED THAT WE HAD JUST GONE THROUGH THE INTXN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TURN ON. AS I POINTED IT OUT TO THE CAPT, GND CTL CALLED WITH A POINTOUT AND NEW INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE LATEST INSTRUCTION WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL THAT WE'D RECEIVED AFTER CLRING THE RWY. I ACKNOWLEDGED IT AND VERIFIED WITH THE CAPT THAT HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT GND WANTED. HE INDICATED CORRECTLY THAT HE UNDERSTOOD. I GOT BUSY WITH AFTER LNDG CHKS AND LOOKED UP JUST IN TIME TO SEE THAT WE'D MISSED ANOTHER TURN. I POINTED IT OUT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT GND DID. FORTUNATELY, THE WX WAS EXCELLENT AND THE TFC LIGHT. IN A DIFFERENT SIT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MESS. AS A CREW WE DIDN'T DO VERY WELL. WE WERE ASSISTED BY CTLRS WHO PUSHED US FOR NO APPARENT REASON. WE WERE GIVEN 3 SETS OF TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, TWO OF WHICH I'D CALL 'NON STANDARD' FOR THIS ARPT. THE 'NORMAL' INSTRUCTION WAS GIVEN WITH LITTLE TIME TO REACT AND CARRY OUT. (WE WERE AT THE INTXN WHEN THE INSTRUCTION WAS GIVEN.) GND GAVE US THEIR NUMBER FOR A LITTLE DEBRIEF. IN THE END, THIS INEXPERIENCED CREW LEARNED A LOT.

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.