Narrative:

Ground control asked us to 'follow a falcon jet out of the ramp.' we never saw the falcon so we held our position. Ground control was very busy so we waited to get a word in. We were asked to follow a falcon out on taxiway J. We informed ground that we never saw the falcon jet. From our position we were near taxiway K facing south on a very crowded ramp and requested taxi out on taxiway K. The controller told us to taxi and hold short of taxiway left. We made a left turn out and held short of taxiway left. Note: we were holding at taxiway K short of taxiway left. We saw a falcon approaching taxiway K on taxiway left where we were holding short. The falcon wanted to turn into the ramp at taxiway K. He held short also. The controller got upset and stated to the falcon jet, 'they taxied out on the wrong taxiway.' we keyed the microphone and asked ground if it was ok for us to make a right turn into taxiway left into the run-up area to our right and let the falcon jet turn into taxiway K to parking. He granted the request and cleared us on 'taxi hold short of runway 24.' causes: lack of taxiway signage, taxiway in middle of uncontrolled ramp, tower inability to see ramp. Crowded ramp with no room to maneuver, no possible way we could have possibly taxied to taxiway J from our position. Several communication xmissions blocked. Solutions: due to physical inability of the ramp and taxiway locations and designators and the inability of tower to see the ramp area, ground control must determine the aircraft physical location before issuing taxi instructions or accept the request of the aft or hold the aircraft. Also note aircraft are unable to see other aircraft on the ramp depending on their position. Possibly assign a designator to each section of the ramp similar to a gate assignments, eg, 'ground, flight X ready to taxi' or 'flight at ramp, K taxi.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: G5 PLT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING SIGNAGE AND TAXI PROCS AT TEB.

Narrative: GND CTL ASKED US TO 'FOLLOW A FALCON JET OUT OF THE RAMP.' WE NEVER SAW THE FALCON SO WE HELD OUR POS. GND CTL WAS VERY BUSY SO WE WAITED TO GET A WORD IN. WE WERE ASKED TO FOLLOW A FALCON OUT ON TXWY J. WE INFORMED GND THAT WE NEVER SAW THE FALCON JET. FROM OUR POS WE WERE NEAR TXWY K FACING S ON A VERY CROWDED RAMP AND REQUESTED TAXI OUT ON TXWY K. THE CTLR TOLD US TO TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY L. WE MADE A L TURN OUT AND HELD SHORT OF TXWY L. NOTE: WE WERE HOLDING AT TXWY K SHORT OF TXWY L. WE SAW A FALCON APCHING TXWY K ON TXWY L WHERE WE WERE HOLDING SHORT. THE FALCON WANTED TO TURN INTO THE RAMP AT TXWY K. HE HELD SHORT ALSO. THE CTLR GOT UPSET AND STATED TO THE FALCON JET, 'THEY TAXIED OUT ON THE WRONG TXWY.' WE KEYED THE MIKE AND ASKED GND IF IT WAS OK FOR US TO MAKE A R TURN INTO TXWY L INTO THE RUN-UP AREA TO OUR R AND LET THE FALCON JET TURN INTO TXWY K TO PARKING. HE GRANTED THE REQUEST AND CLRED US ON 'TAXI HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24.' CAUSES: LACK OF TXWY SIGNAGE, TXWY IN MIDDLE OF UNCTLED RAMP, TWR INABILITY TO SEE RAMP. CROWDED RAMP WITH NO ROOM TO MANEUVER, NO POSSIBLE WAY WE COULD HAVE POSSIBLY TAXIED TO TXWY J FROM OUR POS. SEVERAL COM XMISSIONS BLOCKED. SOLUTIONS: DUE TO PHYSICAL INABILITY OF THE RAMP AND TXWY LOCATIONS AND DESIGNATORS AND THE INABILITY OF TWR TO SEE THE RAMP AREA, GND CTL MUST DETERMINE THE ACFT PHYSICAL LOCATION BEFORE ISSUING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS OR ACCEPT THE REQUEST OF THE AFT OR HOLD THE ACFT. ALSO NOTE ACFT ARE UNABLE TO SEE OTHER ACFT ON THE RAMP DEPENDING ON THEIR POS. POSSIBLY ASSIGN A DESIGNATOR TO EACH SECTION OF THE RAMP SIMILAR TO A GATE ASSIGNMENTS, EG, 'GND, FLT X READY TO TAXI' OR 'FLT AT RAMP, K TAXI.'

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.