Narrative:

While taxiing from the runway to the ramp our instructions were given from tower as follows: taxi south on west; then right on T; at J9 contact ramp. No frequency was given to contact ground at any point. We followed the instructions which are given frequently at dtw. The first officer contacted ramp on the correct frequency at J9. Ramp instructions were to taxi J9-3 south; Q1-then Q to your gate. The instructions were repeated correctly and expected to be followed; until we looked to our left and noticed an air carrier Y turning right from 'Q' onto taxiway 'J.' the taxi lights were on and bright making it difficult to determine if they were continuing or stopping. Appeared they would not be stopping. The air carrier Y turned off the taxi lights briefly and then continued to cut us off at what appeared to be about a 60 degrees distance from us. I contacted ramp to question the air carrier Y instructions and advised he was supposed to wait for us and taxi behind. We stopped when we were unsure of the air carrier Y intentions. After the first air carrier Y passed. I asked ramp if they still wanted us to continue taxi; J9-Q1-Q and then to the gate; he said yes; 'continue J9-Q1-Q and to your gate.' we continued and when turning left on Q1; we noticed another air carrier Z taxiing north on Q; we stopped as his speed didn't indicate he would stop for us. Once again this was questioned and ramp said they were supposed to wait for us; and they would have words with both air carrier's. This was our last leg of a 4 day trip and a long duty day. It appears to me the location of both incursions should be changed on the taxiway charts as a hot spot. I also feel as though tower frequency gives instructions to contact ramp too early. Some of the confusion comes from taxiing in from opposite runways and needing to cross at this location to get to our gates. We were on the appropriate frequency to taxi to our gate; while both air carrier's were on their appropriate frequency to taxi to their gate. I do believe the 2ND air carrier Z was on the wrong frequency to be taxiing north on Q. This left it unclear to the flight crew as to what the intentions of the air carrier's were. If this were to occur again; no changes would be made from this flight crew; we took appropriate action to avoid contact. Looked like a communication error from ramp. Weather conditions were VMC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW AT DTW EXPERIENCE TWO GND CONFLICTS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TAXI TO THEIR GATE. DIFFERENT FREQUENCIES IN USE ARE CITED AS A CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING FROM THE RWY TO THE RAMP OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN FROM TOWER AS FOLLOWS: TAXI SOUTH ON W; THEN RIGHT ON T; AT J9 CONTACT RAMP. NO FREQUENCY WAS GIVEN TO CONTACT GND AT ANY POINT. WE FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS WHICH ARE GIVEN FREQUENTLY AT DTW. THE FO CONTACTED RAMP ON THE CORRECT FREQUENCY AT J9. RAMP INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TAXI J9-3 SOUTH; Q1-THEN Q TO YOUR GATE. THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE REPEATED CORRECTLY AND EXPECTED TO BE FOLLOWED; UNTIL WE LOOKED TO OUR LEFT AND NOTICED AN ACR Y TURNING RIGHT FROM 'Q' ONTO TXWY 'J.' THE TAXI LIGHTS WERE ON AND BRIGHT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF THEY WERE CONTINUING OR STOPPING. APPEARED THEY WOULD NOT BE STOPPING. THE ACR Y TURNED OFF THE TAXI LIGHTS BRIEFLY AND THEN CONTINUED TO CUT US OFF AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE ABOUT A 60 DEGS DISTANCE FROM US. I CONTACTED RAMP TO QUESTION THE ACR Y INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVISED HE WAS SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR US AND TAXI BEHIND. WE STOPPED WHEN WE WERE UNSURE OF THE ACR Y INTENTIONS. AFTER THE FIRST ACR Y PASSED. I ASKED RAMP IF THEY STILL WANTED US TO CONTINUE TAXI; J9-Q1-Q AND THEN TO THE GATE; HE SAID YES; 'CONTINUE J9-Q1-Q AND TO YOUR GATE.' WE CONTINUED AND WHEN TURNING LEFT ON Q1; WE NOTICED ANOTHER ACR Z TAXIING NORTH ON Q; WE STOPPED AS HIS SPEED DIDN'T INDICATE HE WOULD STOP FOR US. ONCE AGAIN THIS WAS QUESTIONED AND RAMP SAID THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR US; AND THEY WOULD HAVE WORDS WITH BOTH ACR'S. THIS WAS OUR LAST LEG OF A 4 DAY TRIP AND A LONG DUTY DAY. IT APPEARS TO ME THE LOCATION OF BOTH INCURSIONS SHOULD BE CHANGED ON THE TXWY CHARTS AS A HOT SPOT. I ALSO FEEL AS THOUGH TOWER FREQUENCY GIVES INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT RAMP TOO EARLY. SOME OF THE CONFUSION COMES FROM TAXIING IN FROM OPPOSITE RWYS AND NEEDING TO CROSS AT THIS LOCATION TO GET TO OUR GATES. WE WERE ON THE APPROPRIATE FREQUENCY TO TAXI TO OUR GATE; WHILE BOTH ACR'S WERE ON THEIR APPROPRIATE FREQUENCY TO TAXI TO THEIR GATE. I DO BELIEVE THE 2ND ACR Z WAS ON THE WRONG FREQUENCY TO BE TAXIING NORTH ON Q. THIS LEFT IT UNCLEAR TO THE FLT CREW AS TO WHAT THE INTENTIONS OF THE ACR'S WERE. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR AGAIN; NO CHANGES WOULD BE MADE FROM THIS FLT CREW; WE TOOK APPROPRIATE ACTION TO AVOID CONTACT. LOOKED LIKE A COM ERROR FROM RAMP. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VMC.

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.