AN LGT ACR ACFT WAS DIRECTED TO TAKE A HIGHSPD TURNOFF AT ORD WHICH WAS STILL OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACFT. HAD THE RPTR TAKEN THE HIGH SPD; HE WOULD HAVE BLOCKED THE RWY.

Date: 1992-07 · Aircraft: Large Transport; Low Wing; 3 Turbojet Eng

Anomalies: ground-incursion-runway|other-unspecified

Synopsis

AN LGT ACR ACFT WAS DIRECTED TO TAKE A HIGHSPD TURNOFF AT ORD WHICH WAS STILL OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACFT. HAD THE RPTR TAKEN THE HIGH SPD; HE WOULD HAVE BLOCKED THE RWY.

Narrative

CLRED FOR APCH APPROX 3-4 MI BEHIND MLG. NORMAL LNDG AND BEGAN TO EXIT HIGHSPD TAXIWAY JUST E OF RWY 22R INTXN. SUBJECT MLG WAS STILL ON THE HIGHSPD TAXIWAY HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY 27R PARALLEL TAXIWAY. IF WE STAYED ON THE HIGHSPD TAXIWAY AND THE MLG DID NOT MOVE WE WOULD NOT BE CLR OF RWY 27R. I TURNED R BACK ON THE RWY; ADDED PWR AND FAST TAXIED TO RWY 22R; EXITED RWY 27R ON RWY 22R AND MADE A L TURN OFF RWY 22R. WE CONTACTED ORD GND CTL AND HEARD THE CREW OF THE MLG COMPLAIN TO THE CTLR THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN TAXI CLRNC (THE MLG WAS STILL ON THE HIGHSPD TAXIWAY HOLDING SHORT OF THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY AND EFFECTIVELY BLOCKING THE HIGHSPD TAXIWAY FOR OTHER ACFT LNDG ON RWY 27R). THE CTLR REPLIED THAT HE WAS 'BUSY AND WORKING SEVERAL FREQS.' I DO NOT FAULT THE MLG CREW. THEY WERE ADHERING TO THE NEWLY REEMPHASIZED FAA POLICY THAT ACFT SHALL NOT PROCEED ON AN ARPT UNTIL THEY HAVE THE APPROPRIATE CLRNC. THIS POLICY; WHILE IT MAKES SENSE LEGALLY; DOES NOT WORK OPERATIONALLY IN HIGH DENSITY; MIN SEPARATION ARPTS SUCH AS ORD. IF THE FAA CONTINUES TO PURSUE IT WITH ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS; I FEEL THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.