A B777-200 ACFT UNDER TOW BY COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL AND CLEARED BY GROUND CONTROL; WAS CUT OFF BY A TAXIING OUTBOUND B-747;WHO WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT FOR B-777. TOW DRIVER BRAKED HARD TO AVOID COLLISION.

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WHILE TOWING COMPANY B777 TO GATE FOR DISPATCH; GND CTL CLRED US TO PROCEED TXWY C HOLD SHORT OF TXWY Z. WHILE APCHING TXWY U; B747 STOPPED ON TXWY U/RWY 28R HOLD BARS. GND TOLD B747 TO 'HOLD 777 UNDER TOW R TO L' THEN 'PROCEED ON TXWY U TO RAMP.' B747 INCREASE ENG PWR CROSSED RWY 28R AND CUT US OFF. B747'S WINGTIP WAS APPROX 50-60 FT FROM COMING INTO THE COCKPIT WINDOW. TOW TRACTOR DRIVER BRAKED HARD TO AVOID COLLISION. AFTER EVENT; GND CONTACTED US AND GAVE US CLRNC TO PROCEED TO RAMP VIA TXWYS Z; B1; B. I REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND TOLD GND THAT HVY ACFT UNDER TOW CANNOT STOP AS QUICKLY AS A TAXIING ACFT. ALSO THINKING ABOUT THIS EVENT I DON'T RECALL FEEDBACK FROM THE B747 TO GND INSTRUCTIONS. TXWY C SEEMS TO HAVE A LOT OF ACFT TAXIING OUT ONTO THE TXWY WITHOUT CLRNC FROM GND. I HAVE CALLED THE SUPVR SEVERAL TIMES TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS; HOWEVER; THE PROBS DON'T OR NOT BEING RESOLVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATES HE WAS IN THE COCKPIT RIDING BRAKES LISTENING TO GROUND CONTROL CLEARLY TELLING THE TAXIING B-747-400 TO HOLD SHORT FOR THE B-777 UNDER TOW. REPORTER EMPHASIZES THE DIFFICULTY IN TRYING TO SUDDENLY STOP A HEAVY TRANSPORT ACFT UNDER TOW WITHOUT JACKKNIFING THE TUG AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ACFT NOSE OR THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY. WHEN THE TUG DRIVER; WHO HAD BEEN APPLYING HEAVY BRAKING; FINALLY STOPPED THE B-777; THE TAXIING B-747'S WINGTIP SLICED PAST LESS THAN 50' FEET FROM THE B-777'S COCKPIT WINDSHIELDS. REPORTER ADDS; THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME HIS FELLOW MECHANICS HAVE RAISED THIS ISSUE OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS; OF BEING CUT-OFF WHILE UNDER TOW WITH THEIR COMPANY MANAGEMENT. HE HAS ALSO DISCUSSED THE SAME CONCERNS WITH THE OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR IN THE CONTROL TOWER. THE LACK OF RESPONSE; OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THEIR CONCERNS BY HIS COMPANY MANAGEMENT AND THE GROUND CONTROL GROUP MAKES THE MECHANICS FEEL NO ONE CARES UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT; AND MOST LIKELY THEY WILL BE THE ONES INJURED DUE TO BEING THE MOST VULNERABLE OUT IN THE ELEMENTS.