B767-300 crew and an MD80 almost collided on the ground at ord.

Attributes
ACN	584556
Time
Date	200306
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : den.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	584556
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters other non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 4
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

We landed at ord on runway 9R at night, (about 2200 ft) exited left on taxiway M5, cleared by tower to taxi via taxiway a to our gate on frequency 120.75. To get to taxiway a, the normal routing from taxiway M5 would be west on taxiway D, to taxiway a. While approaching taxiway a on A16, (which is not a 90 degree intersection) we had to make a very quick stop to avoid an MD80 taxiing west on taxiway a approaching A16 from the east (around A18). We were not advised of any aircraft that would be approaching from our right rear, which is where that aircraft was. The location of that aircraft on taxiway a should have allowed it to stop for us because we were right in front of its windscreen on A16, it was not in front of us on taxiway a, as both aircraft were facing mostly west, the MD80 slightly behind us on taxiway a. However, because that aircraft was apparently on ground control frequency, not tower frequency, it may not have been advised of our position as we were not advised of its. Tower controller came on the radio and apologized for the conflict because he knew we had to stop quickly to avoid a collision. My first officer spotted movement out his side of our airplane and advised me to stop which I did on A16, in time to watch the MD80 continue to taxi west on taxiway a much too close for comfort, which is what has prompted this report. While deplaning, many of our passenger indicated they had noticed the closeness of the 2 airplanes. This incident is all about taxiing on split frequencys during late evening (night) hours when procedures (with just a few aircraft moving on the airport) are handled (what seems to be) a bit more informally. Because of the late hour, we suspected the MD80 was on its way to the hangar and possibly being operated by mechanics, we do not know, it did not stop. Obviously it is the best policy to switch to ground control for taxi clrncs, but if a taxi clearance is offered by the tower controller we normally accept it. We were very, very lucky we had an alert first officer this evening. He saved everyone a taxi accident. These 2 airplanes would have taxied into each other at A16 and taxiway a if not for his alertness.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 CREW AND AN MD80 ALMOST COLLIDED ON THE GND AT ORD.

Narrative: WE LANDED AT ORD ON RWY 9R AT NIGHT, (ABOUT 2200 FT) EXITED L ON TXWY M5, CLRED BY TWR TO TAXI VIA TXWY A TO OUR GATE ON FREQ 120.75. TO GET TO TXWY A, THE NORMAL ROUTING FROM TXWY M5 WOULD BE W ON TXWY D, TO TXWY A. WHILE APCHING TXWY A ON A16, (WHICH IS NOT A 90 DEG INTXN) WE HAD TO MAKE A VERY QUICK STOP TO AVOID AN MD80 TAXIING W ON TXWY A APCHING A16 FROM THE E (AROUND A18). WE WERE NOT ADVISED OF ANY ACFT THAT WOULD BE APCHING FROM OUR R REAR, WHICH IS WHERE THAT ACFT WAS. THE LOCATION OF THAT ACFT ON TXWY A SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED IT TO STOP FOR US BECAUSE WE WERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ITS WINDSCREEN ON A16, IT WAS NOT IN FRONT OF US ON TXWY A, AS BOTH ACFT WERE FACING MOSTLY W, THE MD80 SLIGHTLY BEHIND US ON TXWY A. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THAT ACFT WAS APPARENTLY ON GND CTL FREQ, NOT TWR FREQ, IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF OUR POS AS WE WERE NOT ADVISED OF ITS. TWR CTLR CAME ON THE RADIO AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE CONFLICT BECAUSE HE KNEW WE HAD TO STOP QUICKLY TO AVOID A COLLISION. MY FO SPOTTED MOVEMENT OUT HIS SIDE OF OUR AIRPLANE AND ADVISED ME TO STOP WHICH I DID ON A16, IN TIME TO WATCH THE MD80 CONTINUE TO TAXI W ON TXWY A MUCH TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT, WHICH IS WHAT HAS PROMPTED THIS RPT. WHILE DEPLANING, MANY OF OUR PAX INDICATED THEY HAD NOTICED THE CLOSENESS OF THE 2 AIRPLANES. THIS INCIDENT IS ALL ABOUT TAXIING ON SPLIT FREQS DURING LATE EVENING (NIGHT) HRS WHEN PROCS (WITH JUST A FEW ACFT MOVING ON THE ARPT) ARE HANDLED (WHAT SEEMS TO BE) A BIT MORE INFORMALLY. BECAUSE OF THE LATE HR, WE SUSPECTED THE MD80 WAS ON ITS WAY TO THE HANGAR AND POSSIBLY BEING OPERATED BY MECHS, WE DO NOT KNOW, IT DID NOT STOP. OBVIOUSLY IT IS THE BEST POLICY TO SWITCH TO GND CTL FOR TAXI CLRNCS, BUT IF A TAXI CLRNC IS OFFERED BY THE TWR CTLR WE NORMALLY ACCEPT IT. WE WERE VERY, VERY LUCKY WE HAD AN ALERT FO THIS EVENING. HE SAVED EVERYONE A TAXI ACCIDENT. THESE 2 AIRPLANES WOULD HAVE TAXIED INTO EACH OTHER AT A16 AND TXWY A IF NOT FOR HIS ALERTNESS.

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.