Narrative:

We were cleared by mco ground control to taxi to runway 17R via txwys B6; C; J; hold short of H1. The first officer read back and wrote the clearance down exactly as given and I then read back the same clearance to the first officer as I had previously briefed txwys B6; C to runway 18L as my expected taxi route and departure runway during the before start briefing. As we approached the midway point of the bridge of taxiway J; I asked the first officer to start #2 engine. Ground control then advised us that we would be following an air carrier Z flight approaching runway 17R and that we would see him as we taxied further and to still hold short of taxiway H1. Ground then said to monitor tower. I told the first officer to monitor the tower as he had told me earlier that he would be heads down uplinking takeoff data. I had the air carrier Z flight in sight as I taxied down taxiway J and called for the taxi checklist. After completing the taxi checklist; we had just passed taxiway J5 when I noticed that an air carrier Y flight was stopped opposite direction on taxiway J beyond taxiway H1 that we were to hold short of and blocked us both from turning around. I asked the first officer to go back to ground control. Ground control asked us if we could make a turn into taxiway J5. We did not have enough room to turn. Ground control had to coordination with air carrier Y operations to get a tug and tow the air carrier Y flight out of the way and onto the ramp to their gate. Possible confusing or incomplete taxi instructions given to one or both aircraft. Possible misinterp of instructions given. Confusing taxiway markings and naming of txwys. After looking at the taxi chart in detail; along with the taxi instructions; there is confusing labeling of txwys. It appears that taxiway J does not go all the way to taxiway H1 as given by the controller and read back by this crew. Taxiway J actually turns into taxiway G between txwys H1 and J5; but taxiway G was not mentioned in the taxi instruction nor was it noted by myself or the first officer until we saw the sign for taxiway G which up until just a few seconds prior was still taxiway J. Taxiway J5 enters into a ramp area for 2 air carrier's gate areas and is not listed as taxiway J beyond that point. I do not know what the taxi instructions were for the air carrier Y crew. This was a combination of incomplete taxi instructions and poor taxiway labeling and not catching the subtle change of both on my part and possibly the air carrier Y crew that led to a deadlock on the same taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW TAXING TO 17R AT MCO ENCOUNTERS OPPOSITE DIRECTION CONFLICTING A320 TRAFFIC AFTER SWITCHING TO TWR FREQUENCY. ACR TUGS ARE REQUIRED TO SOLVE THE CONFLICT.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED BY MCO GND CTL TO TAXI TO RWY 17R VIA TXWYS B6; C; J; HOLD SHORT OF H1. THE FO READ BACK AND WROTE THE CLRNC DOWN EXACTLY AS GIVEN AND I THEN READ BACK THE SAME CLRNC TO THE FO AS I HAD PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED TXWYS B6; C TO RWY 18L AS MY EXPECTED TAXI RTE AND DEP RWY DURING THE BEFORE START BRIEFING. AS WE APCHED THE MIDWAY POINT OF THE BRIDGE OF TXWY J; I ASKED THE FO TO START #2 ENG. GND CTL THEN ADVISED US THAT WE WOULD BE FOLLOWING AN ACR Z FLT APCHING RWY 17R AND THAT WE WOULD SEE HIM AS WE TAXIED FURTHER AND TO STILL HOLD SHORT OF TXWY H1. GND THEN SAID TO MONITOR TWR. I TOLD THE FO TO MONITOR THE TWR AS HE HAD TOLD ME EARLIER THAT HE WOULD BE HEADS DOWN UPLINKING TKOF DATA. I HAD THE ACR Z FLT IN SIGHT AS I TAXIED DOWN TXWY J AND CALLED FOR THE TAXI CHKLIST. AFTER COMPLETING THE TAXI CHKLIST; WE HAD JUST PASSED TXWY J5 WHEN I NOTICED THAT AN ACR Y FLT WAS STOPPED OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON TXWY J BEYOND TXWY H1 THAT WE WERE TO HOLD SHORT OF AND BLOCKED US BOTH FROM TURNING AROUND. I ASKED THE FO TO GO BACK TO GND CTL. GND CTL ASKED US IF WE COULD MAKE A TURN INTO TXWY J5. WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO TURN. GND CTL HAD TO COORD WITH ACR Y OPS TO GET A TUG AND TOW THE ACR Y FLT OUT OF THE WAY AND ONTO THE RAMP TO THEIR GATE. POSSIBLE CONFUSING OR INCOMPLETE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO ONE OR BOTH ACFT. POSSIBLE MISINTERP OF INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN. CONFUSING TXWY MARKINGS AND NAMING OF TXWYS. AFTER LOOKING AT THE TAXI CHART IN DETAIL; ALONG WITH THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS; THERE IS CONFUSING LABELING OF TXWYS. IT APPEARS THAT TXWY J DOES NOT GO ALL THE WAY TO TXWY H1 AS GIVEN BY THE CTLR AND READ BACK BY THIS CREW. TXWY J ACTUALLY TURNS INTO TXWY G BTWN TXWYS H1 AND J5; BUT TXWY G WAS NOT MENTIONED IN THE TAXI INSTRUCTION NOR WAS IT NOTED BY MYSELF OR THE FO UNTIL WE SAW THE SIGN FOR TXWY G WHICH UP UNTIL JUST A FEW SECONDS PRIOR WAS STILL TXWY J. TXWY J5 ENTERS INTO A RAMP AREA FOR 2 ACR'S GATE AREAS AND IS NOT LISTED AS TXWY J BEYOND THAT POINT. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOR THE ACR Y CREW. THIS WAS A COMBINATION OF INCOMPLETE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND POOR TXWY LABELING AND NOT CATCHING THE SUBTLE CHANGE OF BOTH ON MY PART AND POSSIBLY THE ACR Y CREW THAT LED TO A DEADLOCK ON THE SAME TXWY.

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.