Narrative:

Taxi clearance from the northeast corner of airport was to runway 12R via taxiway east hold short of runway 12L. This clearance is typical of the one issued to either of the parallel runways and is devoid of instructions for proceeding around the terminal concourses on taxiway Z or taxiway Y. We usually use the outer taxiway Z for outbound to the runway and the inner taxiway Y inbound to parking. I; as pilot monitoring; was looking in the cockpit sorting a handful of charts for departure. As we approached the southernmost bend in the taxiway as it follows the perimeter of the airline terminal apron; an air carrier could be seen coming the opposite direction on the same taxiway. As we slowed to stop; the ground controller issued a taxi instruction to sidestep to the inner taxiway Y before we could ask. Since the new concourse construction; all aircraft pushing back from a gate must do so onto the inner taxiway Y and are not required to call for clearance to push back. On the rare occasion when I have been instructed to use inner taxiway Y; I have on at least 1 occasion been forced to stop and ask for amended taxi instructions due to an aircraft pushing back onto the taxiway while no traffic was observed on the outer taxiway Z. As smgcs lighting is installed on both txwys; it is apparent that they will continue in operation as configured after construction is complete. On another occasion as PF; we taxied to runway 4 and approached taxiway H from taxiway Z and we were covering the before takeoff checks as we went. I could overhear an air carrier asking the ground control position for permission to 'go around the westwind' but I could see no one. As the ground controller began speaking an amended instruction to us to 'give way to the airliner;' the pilot monitoring pointed out an airplane coming alongside on taxiway Y. As we were about to begin turning to taxiway H; the aircraft filled the windscreen and turned right in front of us from taxiway Y. This occurrence caused us to 'panic stop' the aircraft and it would have been my fault if we had collided because received a clearance to proceed and the audio tape would have contained a recording from ground control instructing me to give way even though we were listening to the clearance as the aircraft was cutting us off. I found 2 other reports in the ASRS database outlining similar problems at this airport. In my experience; most ground controllers will not issue a taxi routing at any airport; ie; 'taxi to runway 3L;' 'taxi to runway 17L' unless they require a hold short or they require a specific routing. As far as I can see; the controller is relying solely on the intuition of both controllers and pilots to watch for aircraft proceeding on the wrong course instead of issuing instructions to avoid conflicts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ASTRA PLT WAS REQUIRED TO STOP SUDDENLY TO AVOID ANOTHER TAXIING ACFT.

Narrative: TAXI CLRNC FROM THE NE CORNER OF ARPT WAS TO RWY 12R VIA TXWY E HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12L. THIS CLRNC IS TYPICAL OF THE ONE ISSUED TO EITHER OF THE PARALLEL RWYS AND IS DEVOID OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROCEEDING AROUND THE TERMINAL CONCOURSES ON TXWY Z OR TXWY Y. WE USUALLY USE THE OUTER TXWY Z FOR OUTBOUND TO THE RWY AND THE INNER TXWY Y INBOUND TO PARKING. I; AS PLT MONITORING; WAS LOOKING IN THE COCKPIT SORTING A HANDFUL OF CHARTS FOR DEP. AS WE APCHED THE SOUTHERNMOST BEND IN THE TXWY AS IT FOLLOWS THE PERIMETER OF THE AIRLINE TERMINAL APRON; AN ACR COULD BE SEEN COMING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON THE SAME TXWY. AS WE SLOWED TO STOP; THE GND CTLR ISSUED A TAXI INSTRUCTION TO SIDESTEP TO THE INNER TXWY Y BEFORE WE COULD ASK. SINCE THE NEW CONCOURSE CONSTRUCTION; ALL ACFT PUSHING BACK FROM A GATE MUST DO SO ONTO THE INNER TXWY Y AND ARE NOT REQUIRED TO CALL FOR CLRNC TO PUSH BACK. ON THE RARE OCCASION WHEN I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO USE INNER TXWY Y; I HAVE ON AT LEAST 1 OCCASION BEEN FORCED TO STOP AND ASK FOR AMENDED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS DUE TO AN ACFT PUSHING BACK ONTO THE TXWY WHILE NO TFC WAS OBSERVED ON THE OUTER TXWY Z. AS SMGCS LIGHTING IS INSTALLED ON BOTH TXWYS; IT IS APPARENT THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE IN OP AS CONFIGURED AFTER CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION AS PF; WE TAXIED TO RWY 4 AND APCHED TXWY H FROM TXWY Z AND WE WERE COVERING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKS AS WE WENT. I COULD OVERHEAR AN ACR ASKING THE GND CTL POS FOR PERMISSION TO 'GO AROUND THE WESTWIND' BUT I COULD SEE NO ONE. AS THE GND CTLR BEGAN SPEAKING AN AMENDED INSTRUCTION TO US TO 'GIVE WAY TO THE AIRLINER;' THE PLT MONITORING POINTED OUT AN AIRPLANE COMING ALONGSIDE ON TXWY Y. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO BEGIN TURNING TO TXWY H; THE ACFT FILLED THE WINDSCREEN AND TURNED RIGHT IN FRONT OF US FROM TXWY Y. THIS OCCURRENCE CAUSED US TO 'PANIC STOP' THE ACFT AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY FAULT IF WE HAD COLLIDED BECAUSE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO PROCEED AND THE AUDIO TAPE WOULD HAVE CONTAINED A RECORDING FROM GND CTL INSTRUCTING ME TO GIVE WAY EVEN THOUGH WE WERE LISTENING TO THE CLRNC AS THE ACFT WAS CUTTING US OFF. I FOUND 2 OTHER RPTS IN THE ASRS DATABASE OUTLINING SIMILAR PROBS AT THIS ARPT. IN MY EXPERIENCE; MOST GND CTLRS WILL NOT ISSUE A TAXI ROUTING AT ANY ARPT; IE; 'TAXI TO RWY 3L;' 'TAXI TO RWY 17L' UNLESS THEY REQUIRE A HOLD SHORT OR THEY REQUIRE A SPECIFIC ROUTING. AS FAR AS I CAN SEE; THE CTLR IS RELYING SOLELY ON THE INTUITION OF BOTH CTLRS AND PLTS TO WATCH FOR ACFT PROCEEDING ON THE WRONG COURSE INSTEAD OF ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS TO AVOID CONFLICTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.