Narrative:

After contacting sju ground control for taxi in after landing; we were instructed to 'taxi to the gate behind the airbus; caution jetblast.' we were never given a specific taxiway to follow to the ramp. We then proceeded to taxi via taxiway south and caught up to the airbus which was taxiing at a very slow speed until we could join the inner taxiway to the ramp as we routinely do. As we continued on the inner taxiway which runs parallel to taxiway south and overtook the airbus; shortly after we heard over the radio one of the airbus pilots ask ground control if it was normal to be overtaken like that. The controller said that it was not as far as he was concerned and asked the pilot if he would like him to submit a report. The pilot responded in the affirmative citing that it was ridiculous. Supplemental information from acn 685250: the pilot complained what we did was ridiculous and I responded back to him that we were following our line to the ramp and it is standard procedure. I later called the tower to talk to the controller but it was gone. The person that talked to me said that the next time we decide to leave the taxiway into the non movement area to let them know. I told him that we were never in the non movement area and we entered the ramp in full compliance with the ground controller instructions. In our commercial chart 10-7 page 5 depicts the procedure and the inner line is depicted as taxiway D. The person I talked to by phone did not understand our procedure and got irritated when I attempted to explain and hung up the phone. The way I taxied the airplane to the ramp was in the way and procedure always used to enter the ramp and in full compliance with ATC. It appears to me the controller that I talked on the phone lacked the knowledge of where the non movement areas are. To avoid this misunderstanding in the future; our procedure to taxi to our ramp must be clarified.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATR72 CREW TAXIED AROUND AN A300 AT SJU TO ACCESS THE RAMP.

Narrative: AFTER CONTACTING SJU GND CTL FOR TAXI IN AFTER LNDG; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO 'TAXI TO THE GATE BEHIND THE AIRBUS; CAUTION JETBLAST.' WE WERE NEVER GIVEN A SPECIFIC TXWY TO FOLLOW TO THE RAMP. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI VIA TXWY S AND CAUGHT UP TO THE AIRBUS WHICH WAS TAXIING AT A VERY SLOW SPD UNTIL WE COULD JOIN THE INNER TXWY TO THE RAMP AS WE ROUTINELY DO. AS WE CONTINUED ON THE INNER TXWY WHICH RUNS PARALLEL TO TXWY S AND OVERTOOK THE AIRBUS; SHORTLY AFTER WE HEARD OVER THE RADIO ONE OF THE AIRBUS PLTS ASK GND CTL IF IT WAS NORMAL TO BE OVERTAKEN LIKE THAT. THE CTLR SAID THAT IT WAS NOT AS FAR AS HE WAS CONCERNED AND ASKED THE PLT IF HE WOULD LIKE HIM TO SUBMIT A RPT. THE PLT RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE CITING THAT IT WAS RIDICULOUS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 685250: THE PLT COMPLAINED WHAT WE DID WAS RIDICULOUS AND I RESPONDED BACK TO HIM THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING OUR LINE TO THE RAMP AND IT IS STANDARD PROC. I LATER CALLED THE TWR TO TALK TO THE CTLR BUT IT WAS GONE. THE PERSON THAT TALKED TO ME SAID THAT THE NEXT TIME WE DECIDE TO LEAVE THE TXWY INTO THE NON MOVEMENT AREA TO LET THEM KNOW. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE NEVER IN THE NON MOVEMENT AREA AND WE ENTERED THE RAMP IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE GND CTLR INSTRUCTIONS. IN OUR COMMERCIAL CHART 10-7 PAGE 5 DEPICTS THE PROC AND THE INNER LINE IS DEPICTED AS TXWY D. THE PERSON I TALKED TO BY PHONE DID NOT UNDERSTAND OUR PROC AND GOT IRRITATED WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN AND HUNG UP THE PHONE. THE WAY I TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RAMP WAS IN THE WAY AND PROC ALWAYS USED TO ENTER THE RAMP AND IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH ATC. IT APPEARS TO ME THE CTLR THAT I TALKED ON THE PHONE LACKED THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE THE NON MOVEMENT AREAS ARE. TO AVOID THIS MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE FUTURE; OUR PROC TO TAXI TO OUR RAMP MUST BE CLARIFIED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.