Narrative:

My instructor and I returned from a training flight to oakland (oak) airport. It was my 5TH time flying the cessna 172RG. We were cleared to land on runway 27R. We took the first available taxiway (which is taxiway east) to clear the runway as soon as possible. As we were exiting the runway, I noticed an aircraft Y MD80 that was taxiing on taxiway C and was obviously going to pass in front of us (from our left to our right). I expected oakland ground to tell us to pass behind the aircraft Y MD80, so I cleared the runway hold lines and stopped right past them. We usually stop slightly more forward to give extra clearance between our tail and any aircraft taking off or landing. My instructor was performing the after landing checklist and asked me to contact oakland ground in the meantime. I called ground and as expected, I received a clearance to taxi behind the air carrier Y, MD80. My instructor was just finishing the after landing checklist as I turned my head towards the jet. Its right wing appeared to grow bigger and bigger as it approached us. My instructor and I had serious doubts as to the wingtip clearance with our propeller. It certainly seemed as though the wing was going to hit our propeller. As the jet continued to move towards us, I honestly did not know what was going to happen. As the wing approached the propeller of our airplane, my instructor and I held our breath and faced our body against our seats. It was a terrible feeling. The air carrier Y jet did not even slow down as it approached us. It was taxiing as though we never existed. The wingtip of the MD80 actually passed right over our propeller. I estimated the clearance between our propeller and the wingtip to be no more than 30 inches. I understand that it is especially important for passenger carrying airliners to taxi on the taxiway centerline because this supposedly ensures adequate wingtip clearance. But I do not think safety should be sacrificed, because clearly that wing posed a hazard to us. We did legally clear the runway however we had nowhere to go. As for corrective actions, I strongly believe that air carrier Y should have stopped, slowed down considerably or move slightly off centerline (if adequate clearance exists on the other side). I do not believe we had much choices available. Although I believe that if we could have taxied straight ahead (crossing MD80's path) and hold on the other side where more space is available, we would have had a much safer wingtip clearance. However, this situation developed quite rapidly (and also happened quite rapidly) which gave us very little time to think.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAINEE PLT, WITH FLT INSTRUCTOR, OF A CESSNA 172 WERE HOLDING OFF RWY FOR AN MD80 TO TAXI PAST WHEN THEY BECAME WORRIED THAT THE MD80 WING WAS GOING TO HIT THEIR PROP. THE FLC OF THE MD80 DID NOT SLOW DOWN, OR MOVE OVER, WHEN THE WING PASSED A FEW INCHES OVER THE TOP OF THE C172'S PROP.

Narrative: MY INSTRUCTOR AND I RETURNED FROM A TRAINING FLT TO OAKLAND (OAK) ARPT. IT WAS MY 5TH TIME FLYING THE CESSNA 172RG. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 27R. WE TOOK THE FIRST AVAILABLE TXWY (WHICH IS TXWY E) TO CLR THE RWY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AS WE WERE EXITING THE RWY, I NOTICED AN ACFT Y MD80 THAT WAS TAXIING ON TXWY C AND WAS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO PASS IN FRONT OF US (FROM OUR L TO OUR R). I EXPECTED OAKLAND GND TO TELL US TO PASS BEHIND THE ACFT Y MD80, SO I CLRED THE RWY HOLD LINES AND STOPPED RIGHT PAST THEM. WE USUALLY STOP SLIGHTLY MORE FORWARD TO GIVE EXTRA CLRNC BTWN OUR TAIL AND ANY ACFT TAKING OFF OR LNDG. MY INSTRUCTOR WAS PERFORMING THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND ASKED ME TO CONTACT OAKLAND GND IN THE MEANTIME. I CALLED GND AND AS EXPECTED, I RECEIVED A CLRNC TO TAXI BEHIND THE ACR Y, MD80. MY INSTRUCTOR WAS JUST FINISHING THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AS I TURNED MY HEAD TOWARDS THE JET. ITS R WING APPEARED TO GROW BIGGER AND BIGGER AS IT APCHED US. MY INSTRUCTOR AND I HAD SERIOUS DOUBTS AS TO THE WINGTIP CLRNC WITH OUR PROP. IT CERTAINLY SEEMED AS THOUGH THE WING WAS GOING TO HIT OUR PROP. AS THE JET CONTINUED TO MOVE TOWARDS US, I HONESTLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. AS THE WING APCHED THE PROP OF OUR AIRPLANE, MY INSTRUCTOR AND I HELD OUR BREATH AND FACED OUR BODY AGAINST OUR SEATS. IT WAS A TERRIBLE FEELING. THE ACR Y JET DID NOT EVEN SLOW DOWN AS IT APCHED US. IT WAS TAXIING AS THOUGH WE NEVER EXISTED. THE WINGTIP OF THE MD80 ACTUALLY PASSED RIGHT OVER OUR PROP. I ESTIMATED THE CLRNC BTWN OUR PROP AND THE WINGTIP TO BE NO MORE THAN 30 INCHES. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR PAX CARRYING AIRLINERS TO TAXI ON THE TXWY CTRLINE BECAUSE THIS SUPPOSEDLY ENSURES ADEQUATE WINGTIP CLRNC. BUT I DO NOT THINK SAFETY SHOULD BE SACRIFICED, BECAUSE CLRLY THAT WING POSED A HAZARD TO US. WE DID LEGALLY CLR THE RWY HOWEVER WE HAD NOWHERE TO GO. AS FOR CORRECTIVE ACTIONS, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT ACR Y SHOULD HAVE STOPPED, SLOWED DOWN CONSIDERABLY OR MOVE SLIGHTLY OFF CTRLINE (IF ADEQUATE CLRNC EXISTS ON THE OTHER SIDE). I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAD MUCH CHOICES AVAILABLE. ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE THAT IF WE COULD HAVE TAXIED STRAIGHT AHEAD (XING MD80'S PATH) AND HOLD ON THE OTHER SIDE WHERE MORE SPACE IS AVAILABLE, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A MUCH SAFER WINGTIP CLRNC. HOWEVER, THIS SIT DEVELOPED QUITE RAPIDLY (AND ALSO HAPPENED QUITE RAPIDLY) WHICH GAVE US VERY LITTLE TIME TO THINK.

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.