Narrative:

After landing on runway 8 in sju and as we were clearing onto taxiway V, ground control instructions were straight ahead on taxiway V, right turn on taxiway left to the ramp. As this was an unusual clearance and as the controller's delivery was fast and slightly accented we did not quite understand his intentions and started using the normal route to the ramp which is taxiway south. As we were starting the right turn onto taxiway south the controller said, 'no, no, straight ahead.' we then corrected back onto taxiway V and complied with the controller's initial instructions. When we reached taxiway north at the end of taxiway left ground control advised that we had a branch stuck in our right wingtip, this proved to be true. Subsequent inspection of the site on taxiway left bordered on the south by a row of hangars and to the north by a row of trees, revealed that a tall slender tree had had its upper 2 ft torn off. The tree in question had been allowed to grow taller and to lean farther out toward the taxiway than all the other trees along taxiway left. Supplemental information from acn 366196: we had just started a right turn onto taxiway south, but ground advised us again, to cross taxiway south and taxi in on taxiway left. There was an inbound aircraft holding on taxiway south short of taxiway north.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 ACFT HITS A TALL THIN TREE WHEN TAXIING INTO THE RAMP ON TXWY L AT SJU ARPT. CREW RPTS THAT 2 FT OF THIS TREE, ON THE N SIDE OF TXWY L, WAS CLIPPED OFF AND WAS STUCK IN THE R WINGTIP OF THE ACFT. THIS ONE TREE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO INFRINGE UPON THE TXWY CLRNC.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 8 IN SJU AND AS WE WERE CLRING ONTO TXWY V, GND CTL INSTRUCTIONS WERE STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TXWY V, R TURN ON TXWY L TO THE RAMP. AS THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL CLRNC AND AS THE CTLR'S DELIVERY WAS FAST AND SLIGHTLY ACCENTED WE DID NOT QUITE UNDERSTAND HIS INTENTIONS AND STARTED USING THE NORMAL RTE TO THE RAMP WHICH IS TXWY S. AS WE WERE STARTING THE R TURN ONTO TXWY S THE CTLR SAID, 'NO, NO, STRAIGHT AHEAD.' WE THEN CORRECTED BACK ONTO TXWY V AND COMPLIED WITH THE CTLR'S INITIAL INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN WE REACHED TXWY N AT THE END OF TXWY L GND CTL ADVISED THAT WE HAD A BRANCH STUCK IN OUR R WINGTIP, THIS PROVED TO BE TRUE. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE SITE ON TXWY L BORDERED ON THE S BY A ROW OF HANGARS AND TO THE N BY A ROW OF TREES, REVEALED THAT A TALL SLENDER TREE HAD HAD ITS UPPER 2 FT TORN OFF. THE TREE IN QUESTION HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO GROW TALLER AND TO LEAN FARTHER OUT TOWARD THE TXWY THAN ALL THE OTHER TREES ALONG TXWY L. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 366196: WE HAD JUST STARTED A R TURN ONTO TXWY S, BUT GND ADVISED US AGAIN, TO CROSS TXWY S AND TAXI IN ON TXWY L. THERE WAS AN INBOUND ACFT HOLDING ON TXWY S SHORT OF TXWY N.

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.