Narrative:

I was captain (PF) on air carrier flight and had just landed at seattle. All as normal until we contacted ground control after crossing runway 16L and taxiing taxiway B toward our gate. A DC10 had pushed back and was right in the middle of the area that we needed to taxi through. Ground told him to push so that we would have room to get by, and we acknowledged. We came around the corner and saw the DC10 stopped, tail north. Keeping in mind that it is poor etiquette to taxi between a pushed aircraft and his gate, I opted instead to bear to the left and taxi slowly between his right wingtip and our aircraft on gate. (I also felt that I had gone around the DC10's nose, I would've had little room on the other side of him.) we cleared the DC10 by 8-10 ft (first officer estimate) and cleared the aircraft on gate by the same amount. There was a fuel truck and ground equipment just north of this aircraft, however, and as I continued slowly, it looked as if this clearance would be more than adequate. We continued on to our gate, and the ground controller said, 'I don't know how you did it, but nice job.' we said 'thank you very much.' someone (I think the DC10) then said 'no wing walkers, not so nice.' when we arrived at the gate for our crew change, a ramp agent, possibly a supervisor, came to the cockpit and told me that from his vantage point (presumably near the aft cargo area of the aircraft on gate that he thought our wing passed over the fuel truck. I told him I don't believe it did, apologized if I concerned him or his crew and thanked him for coming to see me personally. I am normally very conservative, especially when taxiing in congested areas. I truly believe I had adequate horizontal clearance with all obstacles in this incident, but the desire to get to the gate on time after a 5-HR flight led me to a lapse in judgement. In retrospect, I should have held outside the alley and let the DC10 taxi out, obviating this entire uncomfortable incident. Supplemental information from acn 532930: upon further reflection, I believe that we made an honest but hasty judgement to proceed on the west side of the DC10 to our gate. Although the clearance was adequate, I now think that stopping until the DC10 was completely out of the way would have been a wiser course of action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CREW, AFTER LNDG AT SEA, WHILE TAXIING AROUND AN ACFT ON PUSHBACK, CAUSED A WING TO PASS OVER A FUEL TRUCK.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT (PF) ON ACR FLT AND HAD JUST LANDED AT SEATTLE. ALL AS NORMAL UNTIL WE CONTACTED GND CTL AFTER XING RWY 16L AND TAXIING TXWY B TOWARD OUR GATE. A DC10 HAD PUSHED BACK AND WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AREA THAT WE NEEDED TO TAXI THROUGH. GND TOLD HIM TO PUSH SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE ROOM TO GET BY, AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED. WE CAME AROUND THE CORNER AND SAW THE DC10 STOPPED, TAIL N. KEEPING IN MIND THAT IT IS POOR ETIQUETTE TO TAXI BTWN A PUSHED ACFT AND HIS GATE, I OPTED INSTEAD TO BEAR TO THE L AND TAXI SLOWLY BTWN HIS R WINGTIP AND OUR ACFT ON GATE. (I ALSO FELT THAT I HAD GONE AROUND THE DC10'S NOSE, I WOULD'VE HAD LITTLE ROOM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HIM.) WE CLRED THE DC10 BY 8-10 FT (FO ESTIMATE) AND CLRED THE ACFT ON GATE BY THE SAME AMOUNT. THERE WAS A FUEL TRUCK AND GND EQUIP JUST N OF THIS ACFT, HOWEVER, AND AS I CONTINUED SLOWLY, IT LOOKED AS IF THIS CLRNC WOULD BE MORE THAN ADEQUATE. WE CONTINUED ON TO OUR GATE, AND THE GND CTLR SAID, 'I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DID IT, BUT NICE JOB.' WE SAID 'THANK YOU VERY MUCH.' SOMEONE (I THINK THE DC10) THEN SAID 'NO WING WALKERS, NOT SO NICE.' WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE FOR OUR CREW CHANGE, A RAMP AGENT, POSSIBLY A SUPVR, CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND TOLD ME THAT FROM HIS VANTAGE POINT (PRESUMABLY NEAR THE AFT CARGO AREA OF THE ACFT ON GATE THAT HE THOUGHT OUR WING PASSED OVER THE FUEL TRUCK. I TOLD HIM I DON'T BELIEVE IT DID, APOLOGIZED IF I CONCERNED HIM OR HIS CREW AND THANKED HIM FOR COMING TO SEE ME PERSONALLY. I AM NORMALLY VERY CONSERVATIVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN TAXIING IN CONGESTED AREAS. I TRULY BELIEVE I HAD ADEQUATE HORIZ CLRNC WITH ALL OBSTACLES IN THIS INCIDENT, BUT THE DESIRE TO GET TO THE GATE ON TIME AFTER A 5-HR FLT LED ME TO A LAPSE IN JUDGEMENT. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE HELD OUTSIDE THE ALLEY AND LET THE DC10 TAXI OUT, OBVIATING THIS ENTIRE UNCOMFORTABLE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 532930: UPON FURTHER REFLECTION, I BELIEVE THAT WE MADE AN HONEST BUT HASTY JUDGEMENT TO PROCEED ON THE W SIDE OF THE DC10 TO OUR GATE. ALTHOUGH THE CLRNC WAS ADEQUATE, I NOW THINK THAT STOPPING UNTIL THE DC10 WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF THE WAY WOULD HAVE BEEN A WISER COURSE OF ACTION.

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.