<< >> NASA ASRS Report 562752, October 2002

Lax ground controller may have had something else in mind when he stated, 'fine,' to the B737 pilot's request to taxi to gate.

Attributes
ACN	562752
Time
Date	200210
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	562752
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon arriving at lax we cleared runways 25L and 25R I called ground and told them our arrival gate X and we were instructed to continue down the taxiway and hold short past the entry point of our alley at C8. I then checked with ramp and was told that our gate was open and cleared in when able. Approaching C9 I told ground that our gate was open and ramp cleared us in. Ground responded 'fine.' I turned to my captain and I said what does that mean. We saw no conflict and the controller was quickly talking to other aircraft so we turned into the alley. There was an aircraft ready to push but they had not begun yet so we continued. Then the controller asked us what we were doing and we said you said 'fine' when we called you and we thought you cleared us in...not much of an incident but the non standard phraseology confused us and ended up making us think and respond to something that the ground controller was not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAX GND CTLR MAY HAVE HAD SOMETHING ELSE IN MIND WHEN HE STATED, 'FINE,' TO THE B737 PLT'S REQUEST TO TAXI TO GATE.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING AT LAX WE CLRED RWYS 25L AND 25R I CALLED GND AND TOLD THEM OUR ARR GATE X AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE DOWN THE TXWY AND HOLD SHORT PAST THE ENTRY POINT OF OUR ALLEY AT C8. I THEN CHKED WITH RAMP AND WAS TOLD THAT OUR GATE WAS OPEN AND CLRED IN WHEN ABLE. APCHING C9 I TOLD GND THAT OUR GATE WAS OPEN AND RAMP CLRED US IN. GND RESPONDED 'FINE.' I TURNED TO MY CAPT AND I SAID WHAT DOES THAT MEAN. WE SAW NO CONFLICT AND THE CTLR WAS QUICKLY TALKING TO OTHER ACFT SO WE TURNED INTO THE ALLEY. THERE WAS AN ACFT READY TO PUSH BUT THEY HAD NOT BEGUN YET SO WE CONTINUED. THEN THE CTLR ASKED US WHAT WE WERE DOING AND WE SAID YOU SAID 'FINE' WHEN WE CALLED YOU AND WE THOUGHT YOU CLRED US IN...NOT MUCH OF AN INCIDENT BUT THE NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY CONFUSED US AND ENDED UP MAKING US THINK AND RESPOND TO SOMETHING THAT THE GND CTLR WAS NOT.

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.