Narrative:

Landed at atl at approximately XA00 after a long day -- final leg of 4 that day. Cleared to cross runway 26L and contact ground. After contacting ground, we were cleared to ramp Y. First officer told ground we were going to ramp Y gate xx. I asked first officer about our gate as when we called in range, I had heard operations state gate xy on ramp X. He stated without looking at this paperwork we were to go to C xx on Y. By now we were near the entrance to ramp X. He called for clearance on ramp control to xx. As I turned from taxiway east. To cross the inner taxiway F, the first officer looked at his paperwork and stated we were indeed supposed to go to ramp X. He then got on communication #1 and told the controller we needed to go to ramp X. The controller replied 'ok.' I turned the aircraft back onto the outer taxiway east and proceeded towards ramp X. After about 100 yards, I looked down at communication #1 and noticed we were still tuned to ramp X's frequency. I quickly tuned back in the ground frequency and told the first officer to call him immediately. Before the first officer could get a word in, the ground controller called our number and asked what we were doing. The first officer explained in brevity and requested taxi to ramp X. Clearance was given to proceed as was a verbal lashing. We proceeded to ramp X, gate xx parking. Once parked, I explained to the first officer proper taxi and radio usage. Then went to operations to call the tower to apologize. The controller who answered the phone listened to my explanation. Contributing factors: 1) very weak first officer in procedures (low time with company) and lack of personality/speaking. 2) long duty day -- 12 hours. 3) 5TH of 5 days of duty. 4) not doublechking paperwork when asked a specific question. 5) assuming on my part the clearance reply of 'ok' was on ground control (versus ramp control) without looking nat frequency. Corrective actions: 1) doublechk everything -- especially when fatigued and/or a clearance is given. 2) slow down when dealing with or flying with someone who is 'slow' mentally or personality wise. 3) take nothing for granted.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN E120 CREW, AFTER LNDG AT ATL, DUE TO A COMS MIX-UP, STARTED TAXIING TO A NEW GATE ASSIGNMENT WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC.

Narrative: LANDED AT ATL AT APPROX XA00 AFTER A LONG DAY -- FINAL LEG OF 4 THAT DAY. CLRED TO CROSS RWY 26L AND CONTACT GND. AFTER CONTACTING GND, WE WERE CLRED TO RAMP Y. FO TOLD GND WE WERE GOING TO RAMP Y GATE XX. I ASKED FO ABOUT OUR GATE AS WHEN WE CALLED IN RANGE, I HAD HEARD OPS STATE GATE XY ON RAMP X. HE STATED WITHOUT LOOKING AT THIS PAPERWORK WE WERE TO GO TO C XX ON Y. BY NOW WE WERE NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO RAMP X. HE CALLED FOR CLRNC ON RAMP CTL TO XX. AS I TURNED FROM TXWY E. TO CROSS THE INNER TXWY F, THE FO LOOKED AT HIS PAPERWORK AND STATED WE WERE INDEED SUPPOSED TO GO TO RAMP X. HE THEN GOT ON COM #1 AND TOLD THE CTLR WE NEEDED TO GO TO RAMP X. THE CTLR REPLIED 'OK.' I TURNED THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE OUTER TXWY E AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS RAMP X. AFTER ABOUT 100 YARDS, I LOOKED DOWN AT COM #1 AND NOTICED WE WERE STILL TUNED TO RAMP X'S FREQ. I QUICKLY TUNED BACK IN THE GND FREQ AND TOLD THE FO TO CALL HIM IMMEDIATELY. BEFORE THE FO COULD GET A WORD IN, THE GND CTLR CALLED OUR NUMBER AND ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING. THE FO EXPLAINED IN BREVITY AND REQUESTED TAXI TO RAMP X. CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO PROCEED AS WAS A VERBAL LASHING. WE PROCEEDED TO RAMP X, GATE XX PARKING. ONCE PARKED, I EXPLAINED TO THE FO PROPER TAXI AND RADIO USAGE. THEN WENT TO OPS TO CALL THE TWR TO APOLOGIZE. THE CTLR WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE LISTENED TO MY EXPLANATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) VERY WEAK FO IN PROCS (LOW TIME WITH COMPANY) AND LACK OF PERSONALITY/SPEAKING. 2) LONG DUTY DAY -- 12 HRS. 3) 5TH OF 5 DAYS OF DUTY. 4) NOT DOUBLECHKING PAPERWORK WHEN ASKED A SPECIFIC QUESTION. 5) ASSUMING ON MY PART THE CLRNC REPLY OF 'OK' WAS ON GND CTL (VERSUS RAMP CTL) WITHOUT LOOKING NAT FREQ. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) DOUBLECHK EVERYTHING -- ESPECIALLY WHEN FATIGUED AND/OR A CLRNC IS GIVEN. 2) SLOW DOWN WHEN DEALING WITH OR FLYING WITH SOMEONE WHO IS 'SLOW' MENTALLY OR PERSONALITY WISE. 3) TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED.

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.