Narrative:

XA40Z ord. While waiting for taxi clearance from ord ground, as #2 at 'C' south, behind an A320, we heard our call sign in the middle of a continuous stream of instructions for up to 10 aircraft. Ground control cleared 'air carrier X, runway 32L, taxiway 10, follow B757 ahead on 'C' line.' after waiting for the stream to end, and giving a brief pause for other aircraft to verify their clearance with requisite readbacks (which none did), the first officer replied, 'air carrier X is now #1, 'C' south, with no B757's ahead of us.' ground control advised, 'roger that, follow the airbus ahead.' we acknowledged to follow the airbus.' as we pulled out and turned left onto taxiway a. The A320 waiting #1 at 'B' south stated 'ground, call sign, the B757 just cut me out, who am I following?' this is a common and unsafe practice at ord. Ground control is so busy that they circumvent the proper procedure of reading a clearance and waiting to get the full readback. Not only is there potential for a ground mishap due to confusion of who's following whom, but there's also the danger of taking blind 'leming' clrncs to follow the aircraft ahead who you normally are initially ignorant of their call sign and clearance route. The mishap links were broken due to vigilance on the part of all aircraft involved. However, the procedure is such that we are setting up for a taxiway/runway incursion or worse -- a collision. We have to stop letting economically motivated congestion override standardized tried and true radio transmission procedures, lest we repeat the tragedy of tenerife at ord. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter has returned twice to ord since this event and has not encountered the 'continuous stream' clearance situation. The reporter stated that ground control has issued clrncs and received readbacks 'as published.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLC QUESTION ORD GND CTL OPERATING PROCS WHEN ISSUING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO NUMEROUS ACFT.

Narrative: XA40Z ORD. WHILE WAITING FOR TAXI CLRNC FROM ORD GND, AS #2 AT 'C' S, BEHIND AN A320, WE HEARD OUR CALL SIGN IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR UP TO 10 ACFT. GND CTL CLRED 'ACR X, RWY 32L, TXWY 10, FOLLOW B757 AHEAD ON 'C' LINE.' AFTER WAITING FOR THE STREAM TO END, AND GIVING A BRIEF PAUSE FOR OTHER ACFT TO VERIFY THEIR CLRNC WITH REQUISITE READBACKS (WHICH NONE DID), THE FO REPLIED, 'ACR X IS NOW #1, 'C' S, WITH NO B757'S AHEAD OF US.' GND CTL ADVISED, 'ROGER THAT, FOLLOW THE AIRBUS AHEAD.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED TO FOLLOW THE AIRBUS.' AS WE PULLED OUT AND TURNED L ONTO TXWY A. THE A320 WAITING #1 AT 'B' S STATED 'GND, CALL SIGN, THE B757 JUST CUT ME OUT, WHO AM I FOLLOWING?' THIS IS A COMMON AND UNSAFE PRACTICE AT ORD. GND CTL IS SO BUSY THAT THEY CIRCUMVENT THE PROPER PROC OF READING A CLRNC AND WAITING TO GET THE FULL READBACK. NOT ONLY IS THERE POTENTIAL FOR A GND MISHAP DUE TO CONFUSION OF WHO'S FOLLOWING WHOM, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE DANGER OF TAKING BLIND 'LEMING' CLRNCS TO FOLLOW THE ACFT AHEAD WHO YOU NORMALLY ARE INITIALLY IGNORANT OF THEIR CALL SIGN AND CLRNC RTE. THE MISHAP LINKS WERE BROKEN DUE TO VIGILANCE ON THE PART OF ALL ACFT INVOLVED. HOWEVER, THE PROC IS SUCH THAT WE ARE SETTING UP FOR A TXWY/RWY INCURSION OR WORSE -- A COLLISION. WE HAVE TO STOP LETTING ECONOMICALLY MOTIVATED CONGESTION OVERRIDE STANDARDIZED TRIED AND TRUE RADIO XMISSION PROCS, LEST WE REPEAT THE TRAGEDY OF TENERIFE AT ORD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAS RETURNED TWICE TO ORD SINCE THIS EVENT AND HAS NOT ENCOUNTERED THE 'CONTINUOUS STREAM' CLRNC SIT. THE RPTR STATED THAT GND CTL HAS ISSUED CLRNCS AND RECEIVED READBACKS 'AS PUBLISHED.'

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.