Narrative:

While taxiing air carrier flight XXX at phl after arrival, phl tower advised us to follow an air carrier B737 crossing runway 9L (the active departure runway) and contact ramp control (130.05). We were unable to completely clear the tail of our aircraft over the hold line due to the presence of the air carrier B737 which had stopped in front of us. I could see an aircraft beginning its departure roll on runway 9L and was uncomfortable since my aircraft was not yet completely over the hold line despite the fact that we were well clear of the actual runway, and because further forward movement would subject us to possible damage from jetblast. After approximately 30 seconds, when it was obvious that the B737 was not going to move up, I did move forward and as much to the right as possible to clear the hold line and mitigate jetblast when the B737 did power up to move. At no time did ramp control communicate with us other than to acknowledge our presence initially. In subsequent conversation with another aircraft, ramp control said he had to talk to ground about 'a little incursion.' we do not know if this was in reference to us. In my opinion, movement on the ground at a busy airport like phl is a puzzle that depends on a flow which, when interrupted, does not always provide time for a perfect remedy. In our case, the situation existed for less than 1 min which, in hindsight, would have been enough time to communicate our dilemma, but also involved observing the circumstances, anticipating timely forward movement, and directing a low time first officer, who had not been to phl before, what to say. A corrective action could have been to return to the tower frequency we had just left myself and state that our tail was not yet clear of the hold line. In addition, the runway 9L departure should not have been cleared for takeoff before we were over the line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340 PIC RPT ON A RWY INCURSION AND A POTENTIAL GND CONFLICT WITH DEP ACFT WHEN HE COULD NOT TAXI PAST THE HOLD LINE OF THE ACTIVE DUE TO GND TFC AT PHL, PA.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING ACR FLT XXX AT PHL AFTER ARR, PHL TWR ADVISED US TO FOLLOW AN ACR B737 XING RWY 9L (THE ACTIVE DEP RWY) AND CONTACT RAMP CTL (130.05). WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETELY CLR THE TAIL OF OUR ACFT OVER THE HOLD LINE DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE ACR B737 WHICH HAD STOPPED IN FRONT OF US. I COULD SEE AN ACFT BEGINNING ITS DEP ROLL ON RWY 9L AND WAS UNCOMFORTABLE SINCE MY ACFT WAS NOT YET COMPLETELY OVER THE HOLD LINE DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE WERE WELL CLR OF THE ACTUAL RWY, AND BECAUSE FURTHER FORWARD MOVEMENT WOULD SUBJECT US TO POSSIBLE DAMAGE FROM JETBLAST. AFTER APPROX 30 SECONDS, WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE B737 WAS NOT GOING TO MOVE UP, I DID MOVE FORWARD AND AS MUCH TO THE R AS POSSIBLE TO CLR THE HOLD LINE AND MITIGATE JETBLAST WHEN THE B737 DID PWR UP TO MOVE. AT NO TIME DID RAMP CTL COMMUNICATE WITH US OTHER THAN TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PRESENCE INITIALLY. IN SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT, RAMP CTL SAID HE HAD TO TALK TO GND ABOUT 'A LITTLE INCURSION.' WE DO NOT KNOW IF THIS WAS IN REF TO US. IN MY OPINION, MOVEMENT ON THE GND AT A BUSY ARPT LIKE PHL IS A PUZZLE THAT DEPENDS ON A FLOW WHICH, WHEN INTERRUPTED, DOES NOT ALWAYS PROVIDE TIME FOR A PERFECT REMEDY. IN OUR CASE, THE SIT EXISTED FOR LESS THAN 1 MIN WHICH, IN HINDSIGHT, WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TIME TO COMMUNICATE OUR DILEMMA, BUT ALSO INVOLVED OBSERVING THE CIRCUMSTANCES, ANTICIPATING TIMELY FORWARD MOVEMENT, AND DIRECTING A LOW TIME FO, WHO HAD NOT BEEN TO PHL BEFORE, WHAT TO SAY. A CORRECTIVE ACTION COULD HAVE BEEN TO RETURN TO THE TWR FREQ WE HAD JUST LEFT MYSELF AND STATE THAT OUR TAIL WAS NOT YET CLR OF THE HOLD LINE. IN ADDITION, THE RWY 9L DEP SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF BEFORE WE WERE OVER THE LINE.

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.