Aircraft taxiing, call sign mix-up by ground controller caused conflict between reporter aircraft an...

Attributes
ACN	342604
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
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 : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	342604
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Landed on runway 24R, exited on the reverse high-speed (taxiway Y) and held short of runway 24L as instructed by the tower controller. Cleared to cross runway 24L and instructed to contact ground control. Ground control acknowledged our check-in and told us to proceed east on taxiway east. We had observed a B747 holding short of taxiway Y on taxiway east ever since we held short of runway 24R on taxiway Y and continued our vigilance as we proceeded south on taxiway Y to join taxiway east. We even heard ground control advise air carrier Z of our converging taxi route from his left side. (Note: there is not enough room to clear runway 24L on taxiway Y and hold short of taxiway east due to the angles of the intersecting txwys.) we had plenty of room to maneuver clear of runway 24L and enter taxiway east and we had the appropriate clearance to do so. Everything was normal until the B747 that had been motionless during this entire scenario began to aggressively move forward just at the moment when we were at the most vulnerable position to cause a conflict. Our position was such that I felt an emergency stop would quite possibly not be clear of the B747-400's 213 ft long wing span and I elected to increase taxi speed enough to stay in front of the B747, while anticipating that the taxiing pilot would look down from his perch and see what was going on and discontinue his movement -- which is what happened. In the event the 'aluminum overcast' continued moving, I felt that I could have increased taxi speed enough to stay out of the way. Telecon with lax ground control supervisor confirmed that we did nothing wrong and an apology was given to us for a mix-up in call signs. The taxiing B747-400 was air carrier Y flight XXX and not air carrier Z flight XXX, as was used in the previously mentioned advisory given by the ground controller. Additionally, no reason could be given for the movement of air carrier Y.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TAXIING, CALL SIGN MIX-UP BY GND CTLR CAUSED CONFLICT BTWN RPTR ACFT AND A WDB ACFT. RPT HAD TO SPD UP TAXI TO PREVENT A COLLISION.

Narrative: LANDED ON RWY 24R, EXITED ON THE REVERSE HIGH-SPD (TXWY Y) AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 24L AS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR CTLR. CLRED TO CROSS RWY 24L AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT GND CTL. GND CTL ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CHK-IN AND TOLD US TO PROCEED E ON TXWY E. WE HAD OBSERVED A B747 HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY Y ON TXWY E EVER SINCE WE HELD SHORT OF RWY 24R ON TXWY Y AND CONTINUED OUR VIGILANCE AS WE PROCEEDED S ON TXWY Y TO JOIN TXWY E. WE EVEN HEARD GND CTL ADVISE ACR Z OF OUR CONVERGING TAXI RTE FROM HIS L SIDE. (NOTE: THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO CLR RWY 24L ON TXWY Y AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY E DUE TO THE ANGLES OF THE INTERSECTING TXWYS.) WE HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO MANEUVER CLR OF RWY 24L AND ENTER TXWY E AND WE HAD THE APPROPRIATE CLRNC TO DO SO. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE B747 THAT HAD BEEN MOTIONLESS DURING THIS ENTIRE SCENARIO BEGAN TO AGGRESSIVELY MOVE FORWARD JUST AT THE MOMENT WHEN WE WERE AT THE MOST VULNERABLE POS TO CAUSE A CONFLICT. OUR POS WAS SUCH THAT I FELT AN EMER STOP WOULD QUITE POSSIBLY NOT BE CLR OF THE B747-400'S 213 FT LONG WING SPAN AND I ELECTED TO INCREASE TAXI SPD ENOUGH TO STAY IN FRONT OF THE B747, WHILE ANTICIPATING THAT THE TAXIING PLT WOULD LOOK DOWN FROM HIS PERCH AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND DISCONTINUE HIS MOVEMENT -- WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED. IN THE EVENT THE 'ALUMINUM OVCST' CONTINUED MOVING, I FELT THAT I COULD HAVE INCREASED TAXI SPD ENOUGH TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY. TELECON WITH LAX GND CTL SUPVR CONFIRMED THAT WE DID NOTHING WRONG AND AN APOLOGY WAS GIVEN TO US FOR A MIX-UP IN CALL SIGNS. THE TAXIING B747-400 WAS ACR Y FLT XXX AND NOT ACR Z FLT XXX, AS WAS USED IN THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ADVISORY GIVEN BY THE GND CTLR. ADDITIONALLY, NO REASON COULD BE GIVEN FOR THE MOVEMENT OF ACR Y.

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.

Aircraft taxiing, call sign mix-up by ground controller caused conflict between reporter aircraft and a widebody transport aircraft. Report had to speed up taxi to prevent a collision.