An MD80 lands at mia, then, as he tries to taxi from the runway to gate, they are unable to be in ra...

Attributes
ACN	407199
Time
Date	199806
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
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	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	407199
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We landed on runway 9L at mia. Clearing the runway, the captain told me to contact ramp control and that he would talk with ground. We taxied back toward the ramp. When I came back up on ground frequency, I was informed by the captain that he had been unable to contact ground to even transmit due to the extremely heavy frequency congestion. As we neared the ramp entrance, ramp control cleared us in, and we taxied on the ramp to the gate. We received no xmissions from ground. Radio frequency congestion to the degree that it is impossible to get a word in edgewise can seriously affect safety as well as impede traffic flow around an airport. Had we had an emergency requiring any assistance we would not have been able to get through to ground. In this case the captain told me that 1 aircraft had been tying up ground control. Perhaps ground should have dealt with this particular aircraft when he had more time to do so, not during a busy period when other aircraft were trying to contact ground. Maybe more ground frequencys and controllers are needed to help relieve the congestion. I do not know the answer -- but I do feel that this issue deserves the attention of us all. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the tower was busy trying to communicate with an aircraft in the cargo area that was confused with where to taxi. The tower was so intent in communicating with that aircraft that there was no way to break into the radio communications to state request or report need to taxi to the gate. Reporter really wants another first or second frequency for backup just in case this should happen again. The other pilot kept the aircraft moving towards the parking area. There were so many aircraft landing the runway had to be kept clear. By keeping the previously landed aircraft moving towards the gate the runway was never blocked. All the other aircraft seemed to be doing the same thing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 LANDS AT MIA, THEN, AS HE TRIES TO TAXI FROM THE RWY TO GATE, THEY ARE UNABLE TO BE IN RADIO COM WITH THE GND CTLR. CAPT KEPT THE ACFT MOVING FORWARD UNTIL HE HAD CLRNC FROM THE RAMP CTLR TO MOVE INTO THE GATE AREA.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 9L AT MIA. CLRING THE RWY, THE CAPT TOLD ME TO CONTACT RAMP CTL AND THAT HE WOULD TALK WITH GND. WE TAXIED BACK TOWARD THE RAMP. WHEN I CAME BACK UP ON GND FREQ, I WAS INFORMED BY THE CAPT THAT HE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO CONTACT GND TO EVEN XMIT DUE TO THE EXTREMELY HVY FREQ CONGESTION. AS WE NEARED THE RAMP ENTRANCE, RAMP CTL CLRED US IN, AND WE TAXIED ON THE RAMP TO THE GATE. WE RECEIVED NO XMISSIONS FROM GND. RADIO FREQ CONGESTION TO THE DEGREE THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE CAN SERIOUSLY AFFECT SAFETY AS WELL AS IMPEDE TFC FLOW AROUND AN ARPT. HAD WE HAD AN EMER REQUIRING ANY ASSISTANCE WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH TO GND. IN THIS CASE THE CAPT TOLD ME THAT 1 ACFT HAD BEEN TYING UP GND CTL. PERHAPS GND SHOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THIS PARTICULAR ACFT WHEN HE HAD MORE TIME TO DO SO, NOT DURING A BUSY PERIOD WHEN OTHER ACFT WERE TRYING TO CONTACT GND. MAYBE MORE GND FREQS AND CTLRS ARE NEEDED TO HELP RELIEVE THE CONGESTION. I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER -- BUT I DO FEEL THAT THIS ISSUE DESERVES THE ATTN OF US ALL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE TWR WAS BUSY TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH AN ACFT IN THE CARGO AREA THAT WAS CONFUSED WITH WHERE TO TAXI. THE TWR WAS SO INTENT IN COMMUNICATING WITH THAT ACFT THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO BREAK INTO THE RADIO COMS TO STATE REQUEST OR RPT NEED TO TAXI TO THE GATE. RPTR REALLY WANTS ANOTHER FIRST OR SECOND FREQ FOR BACKUP JUST IN CASE THIS SHOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. THE OTHER PLT KEPT THE ACFT MOVING TOWARDS THE PARKING AREA. THERE WERE SO MANY ACFT LNDG THE RWY HAD TO BE KEPT CLR. BY KEEPING THE PREVIOUSLY LANDED ACFT MOVING TOWARDS THE GATE THE RWY WAS NEVER BLOCKED. ALL THE OTHER ACFT SEEMED TO BE DOING THE SAME THING.

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.

An MD80 lands at mia, then, as he tries to taxi from the runway to gate, they are unable to be in radio communication with the ground controller. Captain kept the aircraft moving forward until he had clearance from the ramp controller to move into the gate area.