Narrative:

After landing on runway 27L tower cleared us to cross runway 27R, join taxiway left and contact ground. We were unable to contact ground while taxiing to ramp Y due to high radio traffic. Aircraft behind us were cleared to taxi. We continued to ramp Y and asked ramp Y control to notify ground of our attempts to contact ground. His clearance had us enter the ramp on the right, transition left, and hold short of the center road. As we approached the road, ramp control asked that we transition left -- we did. We understood this as authority/authorized to continue (first officer was operating the radio while I monitored ramp and company frequencys -- heavy radio traffic). I stopped the aircraft short of gate to allow room for a departing E120 to pushback. After we stopped, about 5 baggage carts accumulated on the other side of the clear area for the departing aircraft. Ground marshallers opted to have us move about 100 ft north, which we did under direction of a marshaller. We again were unable to contact ramp control due to high radio traffic. After we stopped, ramp control contacted us that we should have notified them before moving. Because of the departing E120 being pushed tail first toward us, the rapidly accumulating number of baggage carts (an increasing density of vehicles onto terminal side of our aircraft) and with no vehicles on ramp side of us, and under the guidance of company ground marshallers, I elected to move the additional 100 ft north while I directed my first officer to notify ramp control. I believe this was safer than remaining in a spot where so many vehicles were converging. At no time do I believe any vehicle was in imminent danger of collision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB120 PIC, FEELING TRAPPED ON HIS RAMP, SURROUNDED BY BAGGAGE CARTS AND VEHICLES, OPTED TO FOLLOW MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS TO MOVE ACFT WITHOUT CLRNC FROM COMPANY RAMP CTLR AT ATL, GA.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 27L TWR CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 27R, JOIN TXWY L AND CONTACT GND. WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT GND WHILE TAXIING TO RAMP Y DUE TO HIGH RADIO TFC. ACFT BEHIND US WERE CLRED TO TAXI. WE CONTINUED TO RAMP Y AND ASKED RAMP Y CTL TO NOTIFY GND OF OUR ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT GND. HIS CLRNC HAD US ENTER THE RAMP ON THE R, TRANSITION L, AND HOLD SHORT OF THE CTR ROAD. AS WE APCHED THE ROAD, RAMP CTL ASKED THAT WE TRANSITION L -- WE DID. WE UNDERSTOOD THIS AS AUTH TO CONTINUE (FO WAS OPERATING THE RADIO WHILE I MONITORED RAMP AND COMPANY FREQS -- HVY RADIO TFC). I STOPPED THE ACFT SHORT OF GATE TO ALLOW ROOM FOR A DEPARTING E120 TO PUSHBACK. AFTER WE STOPPED, ABOUT 5 BAGGAGE CARTS ACCUMULATED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CLR AREA FOR THE DEPARTING ACFT. GND MARSHALLERS OPTED TO HAVE US MOVE ABOUT 100 FT N, WHICH WE DID UNDER DIRECTION OF A MARSHALLER. WE AGAIN WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT RAMP CTL DUE TO HIGH RADIO TFC. AFTER WE STOPPED, RAMP CTL CONTACTED US THAT WE SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED THEM BEFORE MOVING. BECAUSE OF THE DEPARTING E120 BEING PUSHED TAIL FIRST TOWARD US, THE RAPIDLY ACCUMULATING NUMBER OF BAGGAGE CARTS (AN INCREASING DENSITY OF VEHICLES ONTO TERMINAL SIDE OF OUR ACFT) AND WITH NO VEHICLES ON RAMP SIDE OF US, AND UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF COMPANY GND MARSHALLERS, I ELECTED TO MOVE THE ADDITIONAL 100 FT N WHILE I DIRECTED MY FO TO NOTIFY RAMP CTL. I BELIEVE THIS WAS SAFER THAN REMAINING IN A SPOT WHERE SO MANY VEHICLES WERE CONVERGING. AT NO TIME DO I BELIEVE ANY VEHICLE WAS IN IMMINENT DANGER OF COLLISION.

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.