Narrative:

I called for taxi to reposition to the north cargo as a flight of two; call sign air carrier X1. I was told to taxi north on taxiway K; cross runway 17 at K7; hold short of runway 16L at taxiway south. I read back the same and was told again to hold short of runway 16L on taxiway south; so I read it back again. I paid extra attention that I was told to cross at K7 because they told the flight ahead of us; air carrier X2; multiple times to go all the way to the end and cross at K9. As I was approaching K7; I started slowing to make the turn and saw a flicker in the area of K7 but it didn't register with me as being anything. As soon as I started turning into K7 my lights lit up the orange barriers across K7. Using maximum braking and full reverse I was able to stop before the barriers. I was extremely upset and called ground to say that K7 is closed. They said I had been told to use K9; which was untrue; and to cross there. It was verified by air carrier X3; the other aircraft in my flight that we were told to cross at K7; not K9. The barriers were unlit. They had reflectors on them; but no lights. The current ATIS had no mention of any taxiway closures. It only said that runways 13; 16R; and 17 were closed. There was no reason to think K7 was closed because of something with the runway; because runway 17 has been closed at night due to lighting for quite a while. The same controller could be heard controling clearance delivery; east ground; west ground; and 16L tower. This is just one more example of the horrible ground control services provided by slc ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT REPOSITIONING ACFT AT SLC RECEIVED DISPUTED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM GC RESULTING IN MAXIMUM BRAKING EVENT TO AVOID BARRIERS ACROSS TXWY.

Narrative: I CALLED FOR TAXI TO REPOSITION TO THE N CARGO AS A FLT OF TWO; CALL SIGN ACR X1. I WAS TOLD TO TAXI N ON TXWY K; CROSS RWY 17 AT K7; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 16L AT TXWY S. I READ BACK THE SAME AND WAS TOLD AGAIN TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 16L ON TXWY S; SO I READ IT BACK AGAIN. I PAID EXTRA ATTN THAT I WAS TOLD TO CROSS AT K7 BECAUSE THEY TOLD THE FLT AHEAD OF US; ACR X2; MULTIPLE TIMES TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE END AND CROSS AT K9. AS I WAS APCHING K7; I STARTED SLOWING TO MAKE THE TURN AND SAW A FLICKER IN THE AREA OF K7 BUT IT DIDN'T REGISTER WITH ME AS BEING ANYTHING. AS SOON AS I STARTED TURNING INTO K7 MY LIGHTS LIT UP THE ORANGE BARRIERS ACROSS K7. USING MAX BRAKING AND FULL REVERSE I WAS ABLE TO STOP BEFORE THE BARRIERS. I WAS EXTREMELY UPSET AND CALLED GND TO SAY THAT K7 IS CLOSED. THEY SAID I HAD BEEN TOLD TO USE K9; WHICH WAS UNTRUE; AND TO CROSS THERE. IT WAS VERIFIED BY ACR X3; THE OTHER ACFT IN MY FLT THAT WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS AT K7; NOT K9. THE BARRIERS WERE UNLIT. THEY HAD REFLECTORS ON THEM; BUT NO LIGHTS. THE CURRENT ATIS HAD NO MENTION OF ANY TXWY CLOSURES. IT ONLY SAID THAT RWYS 13; 16R; AND 17 WERE CLOSED. THERE WAS NO REASON TO THINK K7 WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF SOMETHING WITH THE RWY; BECAUSE RWY 17 HAS BEEN CLOSED AT NIGHT DUE TO LIGHTING FOR QUITE A WHILE. THE SAME CTLR COULD BE HEARD CTLING CLRNC DELIVERY; E GND; W GND; AND 16L TWR. THIS IS JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF THE HORRIBLE GND CTL SVCS PROVIDED BY SLC GND.

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.