Narrative:

On taxi after landing at phl, tower said 'exit at high speed, hold short 'north,' contact ground.' ground said to 'taxi, hold short of K3.' just prior to reaching K3, ground said 'turn left at K3, contact ramp with gate.' while turning left at K3, we contacted ramp control who thought we should not have turned into K3 without contacting them first. Also, a B737 airplane that was holding short of K3 when I exited the runway and was not moving when I turned in said he would file an incident report. At no time was there any possibility of either aircraft hitting each other. I think the real problem is ground gave me the impression that I was cleared in when they said 'turn left at K3 and contact ramp with gate.' the geometry of the taxiway is such that it's impossible to turn at K3 without entering the ramp. Better terminology would be to 'hold at K3, contact ramp with gate.' supplemental information from acn 541028: there is a hold point depicted, however, it is well within the confines of the ramp. A B737 which was on the ramp (taxiway J) just left of taxiway K3 had just been cleared to taxi as we were coming in. He stopped short of K3 (he was barely moving). Ramp called and said that we didn't have clearance to enter the ramp. There would have been a conflict, it didn't matter if we stopped at the holding point or turned right onto the ramp (as we did). The holding point was right in front of B737. There needs to be better coordination between ground and ramp and better guidance for aircraft entering the ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CREW, WHILE TAXIING TO GATE AT PHL, ENTERED THE RAMP AREA PRIOR TO CALLING RAMP CTL.

Narrative: ON TAXI AFTER LNDG AT PHL, TWR SAID 'EXIT AT HIGH SPD, HOLD SHORT 'N,' CONTACT GND.' GND SAID TO 'TAXI, HOLD SHORT OF K3.' JUST PRIOR TO REACHING K3, GND SAID 'TURN L AT K3, CONTACT RAMP WITH GATE.' WHILE TURNING L AT K3, WE CONTACTED RAMP CTL WHO THOUGHT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TURNED INTO K3 WITHOUT CONTACTING THEM FIRST. ALSO, A B737 AIRPLANE THAT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF K3 WHEN I EXITED THE RWY AND WAS NOT MOVING WHEN I TURNED IN SAID HE WOULD FILE AN INCIDENT RPT. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY OF EITHER ACFT HITTING EACH OTHER. I THINK THE REAL PROB IS GND GAVE ME THE IMPRESSION THAT I WAS CLRED IN WHEN THEY SAID 'TURN L AT K3 AND CONTACT RAMP WITH GATE.' THE GEOMETRY OF THE TXWY IS SUCH THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN AT K3 WITHOUT ENTERING THE RAMP. BETTER TERMINOLOGY WOULD BE TO 'HOLD AT K3, CONTACT RAMP WITH GATE.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 541028: THERE IS A HOLD POINT DEPICTED, HOWEVER, IT IS WELL WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE RAMP. A B737 WHICH WAS ON THE RAMP (TXWY J) JUST L OF TXWY K3 HAD JUST BEEN CLRED TO TAXI AS WE WERE COMING IN. HE STOPPED SHORT OF K3 (HE WAS BARELY MOVING). RAMP CALLED AND SAID THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE CLRNC TO ENTER THE RAMP. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT, IT DIDN'T MATTER IF WE STOPPED AT THE HOLDING POINT OR TURNED R ONTO THE RAMP (AS WE DID). THE HOLDING POINT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF B737. THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER COORD BTWN GND AND RAMP AND BETTER GUIDANCE FOR ACFT ENTERING THE RAMP.

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.