Narrative:

We were taxiing in from the north for a gate on the south side of the terminal. We rounded the corner and saw our gate occupied. We called company and they reassigned us to a gate on the north side of terminal. Empty gates all around, so captain made a 180 degree turn, only to see another aircraft trying to get down the alley we were in. Luckily, that captain saw the problem coming and didn't turn down the alley, preventing a nose-to-nose situation. North ramp controller should communicate with south ramp controller. This is becoming an increasing problem lately. We had no way of knowing our gate was occupied because it was occupied by a J31, which is not tall enough to be seen from the other side. Captain should not have made the 180 degree turn without first running the plan through the ramp controller. Captain should never have agreed to a 180 degree turn in the first place. There were 3 other empty gates. Inconveniencing 1 incoming aircraft by stealing their gate is much better than locking the ramp down by getting nose-to-nose. I semi-saw the problem coming. I was speaking to company, captain was monitoring ramp (he probably should have advised ramp of the problem). I figured when he turned he knew the aircraft was on its way in from monitoring ramp. I did mention it before the turn. After the turn, captain said he had no idea. Probably did not hear me over engines or intercom switch not on. This part is on me. I should have insured captain heard and understood me. Kudos to the other captain for being heads-up and saving us a lot of embarrassment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DO328 FO RPTED CONFUSION ON THE FLT DECK DURING MANEUVERING ON THE RAMP AT PIT.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING IN FROM THE N FOR A GATE ON THE S SIDE OF THE TERMINAL. WE ROUNDED THE CORNER AND SAW OUR GATE OCCUPIED. WE CALLED COMPANY AND THEY REASSIGNED US TO A GATE ON THE N SIDE OF TERMINAL. EMPTY GATES ALL AROUND, SO CAPT MADE A 180 DEG TURN, ONLY TO SEE ANOTHER ACFT TRYING TO GET DOWN THE ALLEY WE WERE IN. LUCKILY, THAT CAPT SAW THE PROB COMING AND DIDN'T TURN DOWN THE ALLEY, PREVENTING A NOSE-TO-NOSE SIT. N RAMP CTLR SHOULD COMMUNICATE WITH S RAMP CTLR. THIS IS BECOMING AN INCREASING PROB LATELY. WE HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING OUR GATE WAS OCCUPIED BECAUSE IT WAS OCCUPIED BY A J31, WHICH IS NOT TALL ENOUGH TO BE SEEN FROM THE OTHER SIDE. CAPT SHOULD NOT HAVE MADE THE 180 DEG TURN WITHOUT FIRST RUNNING THE PLAN THROUGH THE RAMP CTLR. CAPT SHOULD NEVER HAVE AGREED TO A 180 DEG TURN IN THE FIRST PLACE. THERE WERE 3 OTHER EMPTY GATES. INCONVENIENCING 1 INCOMING ACFT BY STEALING THEIR GATE IS MUCH BETTER THAN LOCKING THE RAMP DOWN BY GETTING NOSE-TO-NOSE. I SEMI-SAW THE PROB COMING. I WAS SPEAKING TO COMPANY, CAPT WAS MONITORING RAMP (HE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ADVISED RAMP OF THE PROB). I FIGURED WHEN HE TURNED HE KNEW THE ACFT WAS ON ITS WAY IN FROM MONITORING RAMP. I DID MENTION IT BEFORE THE TURN. AFTER THE TURN, CAPT SAID HE HAD NO IDEA. PROBABLY DID NOT HEAR ME OVER ENGS OR INTERCOM SWITCH NOT ON. THIS PART IS ON ME. I SHOULD HAVE INSURED CAPT HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD ME. KUDOS TO THE OTHER CAPT FOR BEING HEADS-UP AND SAVING US A LOT OF EMBARRASSMENT.

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.