Narrative:

WX was very foggy and it was dark. We called ground control from ramp and were given instructions to taxi. Told to go left on 'bravo' and follow 2ND company aircraft out of 'delta'. We were taxiing out of 'whiskey alpha.' as we taxied out 'west/a' we saw a stationary aircraft on 'west/a' between 'bravo' and 'alpha'. There was no way we could comply with given taxi instructions. So captain made a quick right on alpha and was going to go left on delta to follow 2ND company aircraft. We started to verify this with ground when he asked our position. He called knowing we could not comply with given instructions because he put an aircraft in our path and did not tell us in low visibility conditions. He then put us in a 'penalty box' at 'delta alpha' and made us wait for 10 mins. Later on, as we were given further instructions (at least 30 mins later) he asked if we knew what we had done. We replied 'no sir.' the controller then 'blasted' our pilots and our company over an open frequency for trying to be on time. He said he was flying our airline in 2 weeks and wanted us to get him there safely, but forget about being early or on time. Very unprofessional. This situation could have been avoided by our questioning the taxi instructions earlier and by ATC telling us an aircraft would be temporarily blocking our route. He could have told us to call him when we arrived at our destination to discuss events rather than blasting us on frequency. There was no runway incursion or conflict with traffic at all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS GND CTLR AT JFK APPARENTLY BECAME VERY IRATE WITH THE CREW FOR NOT FOLLOWING CONFUSING INSTRUCTIONS AND THEN HELD THE ACFT IN A PENALTY BOX FOR APPROX 30 MINS.

Narrative: WX WAS VERY FOGGY AND IT WAS DARK. WE CALLED GND CTL FROM RAMP AND WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI. TOLD TO GO LEFT ON 'BRAVO' AND FOLLOW 2ND COMPANY ACFT OUT OF 'DELTA'. WE WERE TAXIING OUT OF 'WHISKEY ALPHA.' AS WE TAXIED OUT 'W/A' WE SAW A STATIONARY ACFT ON 'W/A' BTWN 'BRAVO' AND 'ALPHA'. THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD COMPLY WITH GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. SO CAPT MADE A QUICK R ON ALPHA AND WAS GOING TO GO LEFT ON DELTA TO FOLLOW 2ND COMPANY ACFT. WE STARTED TO VERIFY THIS WITH GND WHEN HE ASKED OUR POS. HE CALLED KNOWING WE COULD NOT COMPLY WITH GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE HE PUT AN ACFT IN OUR PATH AND DID NOT TELL US IN LOW VIS CONDITIONS. HE THEN PUT US IN A 'PENALTY BOX' AT 'DELTA ALPHA' AND MADE US WAIT FOR 10 MINS. LATER ON, AS WE WERE GIVEN FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS (AT LEAST 30 MINS LATER) HE ASKED IF WE KNEW WHAT WE HAD DONE. WE REPLIED 'NO SIR.' THE CTLR THEN 'BLASTED' OUR PLTS AND OUR COMPANY OVER AN OPEN FREQ FOR TRYING TO BE ON TIME. HE SAID HE WAS FLYING OUR AIRLINE IN 2 WEEKS AND WANTED US TO GET HIM THERE SAFELY, BUT FORGET ABOUT BEING EARLY OR ON TIME. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY OUR QUESTIONING THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS EARLIER AND BY ATC TELLING US AN ACFT WOULD BE TEMPORARILY BLOCKING OUR RTE. HE COULD HAVE TOLD US TO CALL HIM WHEN WE ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION TO DISCUSS EVENTS RATHER THAN BLASTING US ON FREQ. THERE WAS NO RWY INCURSION OR CONFLICT WITH TFC AT ALL.

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.