A BA3200 COMMUTER CAPT TAXIES HIS ACFT ACROSS A NON ACTIVE RWY WHEN FOLLOWING A PRECEDING B737. CREW HAD NOT CALLED GND CTLR BUT WERE PROCEEDING ON INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY A COMPANY RAMP CTLR AT CLT; NC.
Synopsis
A BA3200 COMMUTER CAPT TAXIES HIS ACFT ACROSS A NON ACTIVE RWY WHEN FOLLOWING A PRECEDING B737. CREW HAD NOT CALLED GND CTLR BUT WERE PROCEEDING ON INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY A COMPANY RAMP CTLR AT CLT; NC.
Narrative
CLT RAMP CTLR CLRED FLT TO TAXI TO SPOT X FOR RWY 36R DEP. UPON REACHING SPOT X; THERE WERE 4 OTHER ACFT WAITING FOR GND TO GIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND SEQUENCE TO SPOT. RAMP CTL; SEEING THE ACFT STARTING TO BACK UP; PROCEEDED TO SEQUENCE THE ACFT 'WHICH IS A FUNCTION.' FLYING WITH A NEW FO WE HEARD OUR FLT NUMBER 'FOLLOW THE B737 TO RWY 36R.' AFTER RESOLVING A CONFLICT ON RADIO #2; I ASKED 'DID GND CLR US BEHIND THE B737?.' HIS RESPONSE WAS YES WE ARE TO FOLLOW THE SILVER TOP B737. WE PROCEEDED TO CROSS RWY 5/23; WHICH WAS INACTIVE; AND WE GOT A CALL FROM THE TWR TO 'CONTACT GND; THEY'RE LOOKING FOR YOU.' MY RESPONSE WAS TO ASK IF HE ACTUALLY CONTACTED GND. HIS RESPONSE WAS YES. AFTER CONTACTING GND; HE RESPONDED '...YOU ARE CLRED TO RWY 36R; CONTINUE; YOU HAVE ATIS.' THINKING NOTHING FURTHER; WE TAXIED TO THE ACTIVE FOR DEP. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE TWR THROUGH GND COMS; WE DISCUSSED THE CONFUSION AND HE AGREED THAT RAMP SHOULD NOT RESPOND BY TELLING AN ACFT TO FOLLOW ANYONE TO ANY ACTIVE RWY. THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS AND SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE SPOTS ON THE RAMP AND NOT THE RWY. AS A PLT; I AM FULLY AWARE OF WHAT RWY FOLLOWS WHAT SPOT. LIMITING RAMP'S RESPONSE TO TAXI TO CERTAIN SPOTS ON THE RAMP WOULD CUT DOWN ON A LOT OF CONFUSION.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.