Narrative:

Flight was parked by ground personnel using a tug adjacent to air carrier Y, gate and jetway. Upon starting the captain called for a taxi clearance and received clearance to taxi to runway 32 and hold short of 28 at taxiway microphone. After clearing the gate area the captain noticed the ramp area and taxiway blocked by an air carrier Y medium large transport. Another company aircraft was parked on air carrier Y's gate and needed to be towed away. Flight's position was blocking this operation. The captain queried the controller if he could be cleared to pass between the medium large transport and a jetway. The controller stated that he could not give clearance through this area. The ramp had become bottlenecked with aircraft and ground personnel, ie, if company agent and several air carrier Y personnel. The captain elected to move the propeller aircraft away from the high concentration of ground personnel into an empty area. The only avenue was between the medium large transport and the jetway. The flight passed between the medium large transport and the jetway after broadcasting its intentions on tower frequency, and taxied west/O incident to runway 28 at M. Recommendations are as follows: taxi clearance should have been modified to the medium large transport to hold short with the ramp area until gate was cleared. Our flight should have been issued instructions from ground control about how to maneuver away from the area, hold position, or shut down and be towed away. ATC should have the authority to approve operations in nonmovement areas at pilot's discretion. I feel that undue hazard was created by an ATC mistake in ground control and was continued by ATC inaction. I felt it in the best interest of passenger and ground personnel to remove my aircraft from the area in a safe manner through the only avenue available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER SMT UNAUTH TAXI LEAVING GATE AREA AT SYR.

Narrative: FLT WAS PARKED BY GND PERSONNEL USING A TUG ADJACENT TO ACR Y, GATE AND JETWAY. UPON STARTING THE CAPT CALLED FOR A TAXI CLRNC AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 32 AND HOLD SHORT OF 28 AT TXWY MIKE. AFTER CLRING THE GATE AREA THE CAPT NOTICED THE RAMP AREA AND TXWY BLOCKED BY AN ACR Y MLG. ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT WAS PARKED ON ACR Y'S GATE AND NEEDED TO BE TOWED AWAY. FLT'S POS WAS BLOCKING THIS OPERATION. THE CAPT QUERIED THE CTLR IF HE COULD BE CLRED TO PASS BTWN THE MLG AND A JETWAY. THE CTLR STATED THAT HE COULD NOT GIVE CLRNC THROUGH THIS AREA. THE RAMP HAD BECOME BOTTLENECKED WITH ACFT AND GND PERSONNEL, IE, IF COMPANY AGENT AND SEVERAL ACR Y PERSONNEL. THE CAPT ELECTED TO MOVE THE PROP ACFT AWAY FROM THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF GND PERSONNEL INTO AN EMPTY AREA. THE ONLY AVENUE WAS BTWN THE MLG AND THE JETWAY. THE FLT PASSED BTWN THE MLG AND THE JETWAY AFTER BROADCASTING ITS INTENTIONS ON TWR FREQ, AND TAXIED W/O INCIDENT TO RWY 28 AT M. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS: TAXI CLRNC SHOULD HAVE BEEN MODIFIED TO THE MLG TO HOLD SHORT WITH THE RAMP AREA UNTIL GATE WAS CLRED. OUR FLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL ABOUT HOW TO MANEUVER AWAY FROM THE AREA, HOLD POS, OR SHUT DOWN AND BE TOWED AWAY. ATC SHOULD HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO APPROVE OPS IN NONMOVEMENT AREAS AT PLT'S DISCRETION. I FEEL THAT UNDUE HAZARD WAS CREATED BY AN ATC MISTAKE IN GND CTL AND WAS CONTINUED BY ATC INACTION. I FELT IT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF PAX AND GND PERSONNEL TO REMOVE MY ACFT FROM THE AREA IN A SAFE MANNER THROUGH THE ONLY AVENUE AVAILABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.