Narrative:

At the acrx airline terminal in fll, pushback was completed normally. Airport traffic was heavy and unusual for this airport. The ground controller had a high workload and was obviously stressed over the situation. Our aircraft (B737) had an inoperative APU and the #1 engine was started at the gate. After pushback, we advised that a xbleed start would be required and asked for directions to the safest and most convenient place to do this. The stressed ground controller replied that the ramp area is uncontrolled and that we should coordinate with our ground crew for the start of #2 engine. The start could not be completed at our present position due to equipment behind the aircraft. After several calls to the ground controller by me (first officer) with no reply, the captain (with a stern and agitated voice) called to gain permission to taxi up to taxiway T at T3 to complete the start. An equally agitated ground controller stated emphatically that the ramp area we were in is uncontrolled. The confusion is that between T3 and T2 the area is labeled, on the 10-9 page, as taxiway T with markings on the pavement that also indicate a taxiway. After some discussion, it was decided that based on experience at that terminal, ie, no pushback clearance is required for pushback into that area off the adjacent gates, so we taxied behind another B737 that was holding short of T2 on taxiway T. That gave us clearance behind to complete the xbleed start of the #2 engine. Contributing factors: abnormal starting procedure required for our aircraft, uncommon amount of ground traffic causing stress for the ground controller and the ambiguity between the 10-9 page and the controller's instructions. The commercial page should be updated, or have a note showing that area as uncontrolled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF AN ACR MLG COMPLAINS THAT THE ARPT DIAGRAM DOES NOT REFLECT THE EDGE OF THE FLL RAMP AREA AS A NON CTLED AREA SO THAT THEY COULD LEGALLY DO A BLEED AIR ENG START WITHOUT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: AT THE ACRX AIRLINE TERMINAL IN FLL, PUSHBACK WAS COMPLETED NORMALLY. ARPT TFC WAS HVY AND UNUSUAL FOR THIS ARPT. THE GND CTLR HAD A HIGH WORKLOAD AND WAS OBVIOUSLY STRESSED OVER THE SIT. OUR ACFT (B737) HAD AN INOP APU AND THE #1 ENG WAS STARTED AT THE GATE. AFTER PUSHBACK, WE ADVISED THAT A XBLEED START WOULD BE REQUIRED AND ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE SAFEST AND MOST CONVENIENT PLACE TO DO THIS. THE STRESSED GND CTLR REPLIED THAT THE RAMP AREA IS UNCTLED AND THAT WE SHOULD COORDINATE WITH OUR GND CREW FOR THE START OF #2 ENG. THE START COULD NOT BE COMPLETED AT OUR PRESENT POS DUE TO EQUIP BEHIND THE ACFT. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS TO THE GND CTLR BY ME (FO) WITH NO REPLY, THE CAPT (WITH A STERN AND AGITATED VOICE) CALLED TO GAIN PERMISSION TO TAXI UP TO TXWY T AT T3 TO COMPLETE THE START. AN EQUALLY AGITATED GND CTLR STATED EMPHATICALLY THAT THE RAMP AREA WE WERE IN IS UNCTLED. THE CONFUSION IS THAT BTWN T3 AND T2 THE AREA IS LABELED, ON THE 10-9 PAGE, AS TXWY T WITH MARKINGS ON THE PAVEMENT THAT ALSO INDICATE A TXWY. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION, IT WAS DECIDED THAT BASED ON EXPERIENCE AT THAT TERMINAL, IE, NO PUSHBACK CLRNC IS REQUIRED FOR PUSHBACK INTO THAT AREA OFF THE ADJACENT GATES, SO WE TAXIED BEHIND ANOTHER B737 THAT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF T2 ON TXWY T. THAT GAVE US CLRNC BEHIND TO COMPLETE THE XBLEED START OF THE #2 ENG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: ABNORMAL STARTING PROC REQUIRED FOR OUR ACFT, UNCOMMON AMOUNT OF GND TFC CAUSING STRESS FOR THE GND CTLR AND THE AMBIGUITY BTWN THE 10-9 PAGE AND THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE COMMERCIAL PAGE SHOULD BE UPDATED, OR HAVE A NOTE SHOWING THAT AREA AS UNCTLED.

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.