Narrative:

We landed and exited the runway to the left at taxiway. Cleared to cross runway. After crossing, I turned right on taxiway due to aircraft taxiing north on taxiway, since this is the procedure coming off of runway. At this time, first officer called ground and told them our gate was gate X. We did a 180 degree turn at taxiway and now we were going north toward X entry to our ramp. First officer called ramp and confirmed gate number for us. By this time we were right at the X entry and I asked first officer if we were clear on the right. He brought my attention to a van on our right side which we both watched as I started to turn down into the line for gate X. I switched my radio up to the ramp frequency at this time and soon came to a stop abeam gate Y behind an airbus. Then I heard ramp telling us we did not call before entering the ramp and she had stopped a push that had just begun at gate Y off our right side. At this point, I realized we had made a mistake. We apologized and proceeded to our gate. After debriefing ourselves at the gate, we came to these conclusions. First officer did not tell ramp where we were, on first contact, to confirm gate. Therefore, ramp did not realize how close we were to the entry to our ramp. I did not confirm with first officer that, not only the gate was confirmed, but that we had also been cleared to enter ramp. It is a busy time coming off of runway and crossing and going into X entry. I need to be sure we not only confirm gate but check at X entry that we are actually cleared into ramp area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 DID NOT GET SPECIFIC CLRNC TO ENTER COMPANY RAMP AREA.

Narrative: WE LANDED AND EXITED THE RWY TO THE L AT TXWY. CLRED TO CROSS RWY. AFTER XING, I TURNED R ON TXWY DUE TO ACFT TAXIING N ON TXWY, SINCE THIS IS THE PROC COMING OFF OF RWY. AT THIS TIME, FO CALLED GND AND TOLD THEM OUR GATE WAS GATE X. WE DID A 180 DEG TURN AT TXWY AND NOW WE WERE GOING N TOWARD X ENTRY TO OUR RAMP. FO CALLED RAMP AND CONFIRMED GATE NUMBER FOR US. BY THIS TIME WE WERE RIGHT AT THE X ENTRY AND I ASKED FO IF WE WERE CLR ON THE R. HE BROUGHT MY ATTN TO A VAN ON OUR R SIDE WHICH WE BOTH WATCHED AS I STARTED TO TURN DOWN INTO THE LINE FOR GATE X. I SWITCHED MY RADIO UP TO THE RAMP FREQ AT THIS TIME AND SOON CAME TO A STOP ABEAM GATE Y BEHIND AN AIRBUS. THEN I HEARD RAMP TELLING US WE DID NOT CALL BEFORE ENTERING THE RAMP AND SHE HAD STOPPED A PUSH THAT HAD JUST BEGUN AT GATE Y OFF OUR R SIDE. AT THIS POINT, I REALIZED WE HAD MADE A MISTAKE. WE APOLOGIZED AND PROCEEDED TO OUR GATE. AFTER DEBRIEFING OURSELVES AT THE GATE, WE CAME TO THESE CONCLUSIONS. FO DID NOT TELL RAMP WHERE WE WERE, ON FIRST CONTACT, TO CONFIRM GATE. THEREFORE, RAMP DID NOT REALIZE HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO THE ENTRY TO OUR RAMP. I DID NOT CONFIRM WITH FO THAT, NOT ONLY THE GATE WAS CONFIRMED, BUT THAT WE HAD ALSO BEEN CLRED TO ENTER RAMP. IT IS A BUSY TIME COMING OFF OF RWY AND XING AND GOING INTO X ENTRY. I NEED TO BE SURE WE NOT ONLY CONFIRM GATE BUT CHK AT X ENTRY THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY CLRED INTO RAMP AREA.

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.