Narrative:

We had landed on runway 9 at mia after a cancun trip. After exiting the runway we were asked by ground control for our gate. We responded with gate X and were told we were cleared to cross runway 21 and proceed to the gate but to ensure the gate was open. We did so and upon approaching the entrance to the ramp we saw a plane who had just pushed. We waited until he taxied out and began to enter the ramp. We saw an airbus being pushed off of gate X and back into the alley. It appeared that he was continuing to push back far enough for us to enter gate X. He was pushing slowly but since our clearance was 'to the gate' and he continued to move until the approach to the gate was clear we proceeded. After completing the parking checklist we were notified that we were to have contacted miami dade control before entering the ramp. All three of us (there was a check airman on the flight deck as well) went back over the airport diagram; parking ramp close-up page; and the data screen. We did find a box on the chart mentioning that these folks needed to be contacted before pushback but that was about it. The first officer then called the frequency to speak with them but there was no answer. As we were exiting the airplane someone from the miami dade airport came to the jetway and asked for our names. I then spoke on the phone with a fellow in the ground control tower. I tried to explain that if it was a very important thing then that frequency should be prominently displayed on the airport diagram. He was fairly upset as it seems that this isn't an isolated occurrence. I promised him that I would call the frequency the next time I flew to miami. A much better approach would be something such as atlanta where the frequency is posted on the airfield diagram at the point where you taxi into the ramp.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that while discussing this issue with the dade county airport authority/authorized he pointed out that the positive control direction addresses outbound aircraft but not inbound. The authority/authorized stated this was not an isolated event. Reporter stated possibly a more specific direction to inbound flight crews on the positive apron control and pushback procedures specification could easily solve the problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 PLT RPTS RAMP CTL FREQUENCY IS TO BE CALLED PRIOR TO ENTERING MIA RAMP AREA FOR PARKING; BUT THE REQUIREMENT IS NOT CHARTED.

Narrative: WE HAD LANDED ON RWY 9 AT MIA AFTER A CANCUN TRIP. AFTER EXITING THE RWY WE WERE ASKED BY GND CTL FOR OUR GATE. WE RESPONDED WITH GATE X AND WERE TOLD WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 21 AND PROCEED TO THE GATE BUT TO ENSURE THE GATE WAS OPEN. WE DID SO AND UPON APCHING THE ENTRANCE TO THE RAMP WE SAW A PLANE WHO HAD JUST PUSHED. WE WAITED UNTIL HE TAXIED OUT AND BEGAN TO ENTER THE RAMP. WE SAW AN AIRBUS BEING PUSHED OFF OF GATE X AND BACK INTO THE ALLEY. IT APPEARED THAT HE WAS CONTINUING TO PUSH BACK FAR ENOUGH FOR US TO ENTER GATE X. HE WAS PUSHING SLOWLY BUT SINCE OUR CLRNC WAS 'TO THE GATE' AND HE CONTINUED TO MOVE UNTIL THE APCH TO THE GATE WAS CLR WE PROCEEDED. AFTER COMPLETING THE PARKING CHECKLIST WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT WE WERE TO HAVE CONTACTED MIAMI DADE CONTROL BEFORE ENTERING THE RAMP. ALL THREE OF US (THERE WAS A CHECK AIRMAN ON THE FLIGHT DECK AS WELL) WENT BACK OVER THE ARPT DIAGRAM; PARKING RAMP CLOSE-UP PAGE; AND THE DATA SCREEN. WE DID FIND A BOX ON THE CHART MENTIONING THAT THESE FOLKS NEEDED TO BE CONTACTED BEFORE PUSHBACK BUT THAT WAS ABOUT IT. THE FO THEN CALLED THE FREQUENCY TO SPEAK WITH THEM BUT THERE WAS NO ANSWER. AS WE WERE EXITING THE AIRPLANE SOMEONE FROM THE MIAMI DADE ARPT CAME TO THE JETWAY AND ASKED FOR OUR NAMES. I THEN SPOKE ON THE PHONE WITH A FELLOW IN THE GND CTL TWR. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT IF IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT THING THEN THAT FREQUENCY SHOULD BE PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM. HE WAS FAIRLY UPSET AS IT SEEMS THAT THIS ISN'T AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE. I PROMISED HIM THAT I WOULD CALL THE FREQUENCY THE NEXT TIME I FLEW TO MIAMI. A MUCH BETTER APCH WOULD BE SOMETHING SUCH AS ATLANTA WHERE THE FREQUENCY IS POSTED ON THE AIRFIELD DIAGRAM AT THE POINT WHERE YOU TAXI INTO THE RAMP.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT WHILE DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE WITH THE DADE COUNTY ARPT AUTH HE POINTED OUT THAT THE POSITIVE CTL DIRECTION ADDRESSES OUTBOUND ACFT BUT NOT INBOUND. THE AUTH STATED THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT. RPTR STATED POSSIBLY A MORE SPECIFIC DIRECTION TO INBOUND FLT CREWS ON THE POSITIVE APRON CTL AND PUSHBACK PROCS SPECIFICATION COULD EASILY SOLVE THE PROB.

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.