Narrative:

Upon arrival in acy oct/xa/99 it was dark. In our plane were myself (PIC) and 2 other pilots. One was a cfii. We exited the runway and were following a harried ground controller's instructions to the appropriate ramp location. It was much busier at acy than usual, of course. We had gotten down quite short and exited the runway early. A plane behind us landed long. We were taxiing parallel to the runway and came to an intersection with another exit-point for the runway. We had been instructed to hold short of that intersection, which we did. The reason for that was a C182 crossing the intersection in front of us. A beech bonanza exited the runway and came to stop to our left at the intersection. Ground instructed us to proceed through the intersection and to the ramp. Without waiting for a reply, ground instructed the beech to 'follow the 210 to the ramp.' I started into the intersection, only to be surprised when the beech roared through and chased off after the C182. I had to stop very hard to avoid hitting the beech, who missed my propeller by only a few ft. I still had strobes and other appropriate lighting activated. When I got to the ramp, ground was trying to contact the beech. Ground obviously was confused about where they had gone. I indicated they had followed the wrong plane and were at the other end of the ramp. In a van to the hotel, we met the beech pilot. He was oblivious to his mistake. The primary thing that should not have happened here is that the ground controller shouldn't be instructing a plane to follow another plane type with that many similar aircraft around -- especially at night. The instructions should have been 'much' more specific. 'Give way to the aircraft on your right, follow him to the ramp.' the beech pilot obviously made a mistake -- he took off after the wrong type of plane. Older model C210's do have struts, so it is possible to mistake a C182 for a C210 in the dark, especially from behind. However, the beech pilot should have noted that our plane was (appropriately) in motion and should have stopped. Lastly, I should have looked to my left to verify the beech wasn't moving before I started into the intersection. Clearly I had the right-of-way based on the controller's instructions, but that doesn't remove my burden of verifying that I'm not going to hit anybody.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C210 AFTER LNDG HAD TO STOP FAST DURING TAXI IN TO AVOID A BEECH BONANZA COMING OFF RWY TXWY INTXN TO FOLLOW A C182 WHICH HE WAS INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL.

Narrative: UPON ARR IN ACY OCT/XA/99 IT WAS DARK. IN OUR PLANE WERE MYSELF (PIC) AND 2 OTHER PLTS. ONE WAS A CFII. WE EXITED THE RWY AND WERE FOLLOWING A HARRIED GND CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO THE APPROPRIATE RAMP LOCATION. IT WAS MUCH BUSIER AT ACY THAN USUAL, OF COURSE. WE HAD GOTTEN DOWN QUITE SHORT AND EXITED THE RWY EARLY. A PLANE BEHIND US LANDED LONG. WE WERE TAXIING PARALLEL TO THE RWY AND CAME TO AN INTXN WITH ANOTHER EXIT-POINT FOR THE RWY. WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF THAT INTXN, WHICH WE DID. THE REASON FOR THAT WAS A C182 XING THE INTXN IN FRONT OF US. A BEECH BONANZA EXITED THE RWY AND CAME TO STOP TO OUR L AT THE INTXN. GND INSTRUCTED US TO PROCEED THROUGH THE INTXN AND TO THE RAMP. WITHOUT WAITING FOR A REPLY, GND INSTRUCTED THE BEECH TO 'FOLLOW THE 210 TO THE RAMP.' I STARTED INTO THE INTXN, ONLY TO BE SURPRISED WHEN THE BEECH ROARED THROUGH AND CHASED OFF AFTER THE C182. I HAD TO STOP VERY HARD TO AVOID HITTING THE BEECH, WHO MISSED MY PROP BY ONLY A FEW FT. I STILL HAD STROBES AND OTHER APPROPRIATE LIGHTING ACTIVATED. WHEN I GOT TO THE RAMP, GND WAS TRYING TO CONTACT THE BEECH. GND OBVIOUSLY WAS CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE THEY HAD GONE. I INDICATED THEY HAD FOLLOWED THE WRONG PLANE AND WERE AT THE OTHER END OF THE RAMP. IN A VAN TO THE HOTEL, WE MET THE BEECH PLT. HE WAS OBLIVIOUS TO HIS MISTAKE. THE PRIMARY THING THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED HERE IS THAT THE GND CTLR SHOULDN'T BE INSTRUCTING A PLANE TO FOLLOW ANOTHER PLANE TYPE WITH THAT MANY SIMILAR ACFT AROUND -- ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. THE INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN 'MUCH' MORE SPECIFIC. 'GIVE WAY TO THE ACFT ON YOUR R, FOLLOW HIM TO THE RAMP.' THE BEECH PLT OBVIOUSLY MADE A MISTAKE -- HE TOOK OFF AFTER THE WRONG TYPE OF PLANE. OLDER MODEL C210'S DO HAVE STRUTS, SO IT IS POSSIBLE TO MISTAKE A C182 FOR A C210 IN THE DARK, ESPECIALLY FROM BEHIND. HOWEVER, THE BEECH PLT SHOULD HAVE NOTED THAT OUR PLANE WAS (APPROPRIATELY) IN MOTION AND SHOULD HAVE STOPPED. LASTLY, I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED TO MY L TO VERIFY THE BEECH WASN'T MOVING BEFORE I STARTED INTO THE INTXN. CLRLY I HAD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY BASED ON THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS, BUT THAT DOESN'T REMOVE MY BURDEN OF VERIFYING THAT I'M NOT GOING TO HIT ANYBODY.

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.