Flight crew of E145 encounters unlighted opposite direction traffic while taxiing for takeoff at mem...

Attributes
ACN	593093
Time
Date	200309
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : mem.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Saab-Scania Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	593093
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe ground encounters other non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : unqualified personnel performance deficiency : training performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

After sunset in mem, we called ground control and advised ready to taxi. We were cleared to taxi to runway 36C via taxiway J. It is a straight taxi all the way down. We had the beacon and taxi lights on. As we were approaching the end of the runway, I switched to tower frequency. Immediately then in front of us, a taxi light lit up. The captain stopped the jet immediately. It turned out to be a saab 340, opposite direction from us. We told tower there was an aircraft opposite us on taxiway J. He said he would look into it. Right then the saab did an abrupt 180 degree turn and I switched back to ground, who told us to continue taxiing. The captain later called ground from the air to inquire as to what happened, but was basically told not to worry about it and that the saab was a maintenance reposition aircraft. We complied with all clrncs and are sure this was in no way our fault. In addition, the saab did not have his beacon or taxi lights on.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF E145 ENCOUNTERS UNLIGHTED OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF AT MEM.

Narrative: AFTER SUNSET IN MEM, WE CALLED GND CTL AND ADVISED READY TO TAXI. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 36C VIA TXWY J. IT IS A STRAIGHT TAXI ALL THE WAY DOWN. WE HAD THE BEACON AND TAXI LIGHTS ON. AS WE WERE APCHING THE END OF THE RWY, I SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. IMMEDIATELY THEN IN FRONT OF US, A TAXI LIGHT LIT UP. THE CAPT STOPPED THE JET IMMEDIATELY. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A SAAB 340, OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM US. WE TOLD TWR THERE WAS AN ACFT OPPOSITE US ON TXWY J. HE SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT. RIGHT THEN THE SAAB DID AN ABRUPT 180 DEG TURN AND I SWITCHED BACK TO GND, WHO TOLD US TO CONTINUE TAXIING. THE CAPT LATER CALLED GND FROM THE AIR TO INQUIRE AS TO WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WAS BASICALLY TOLD NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT AND THAT THE SAAB WAS A MAINT REPOSITION ACFT. WE COMPLIED WITH ALL CLRNCS AND ARE SURE THIS WAS IN NO WAY OUR FAULT. IN ADDITION, THE SAAB DID NOT HAVE HIS BEACON OR TAXI LIGHTS ON.

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.