Narrative:

Taxied out to runway 30R, stl, first officer switched to tower frequency 118.5. I looked at radio and confirmed the frequency by x-chking my commercial charts. We waited about 2 mins after hearing only 30L conversation, and being unfamiliar, I rechked my stl chart and noticed north frequency 120.05. First officer switched the #2 radio to 120.05 so as not to miss any communications. Shortly we were cleared into position and hold, and to be ready for an immediate. The first officer read this back on #2. I taxied into position. We switched the #1 radio to 120.05 (since company procedure is to leave #2 on SELCAL frequencys). We heard no clearance for takeoff. I called the tower to question. No response. Then we saw a turbo propeller on a go around on 30R. Tower told us to taxi down runway, turn left at second taxiway and get back in line, which we did. Contributing factors: company has 5 different radio/audio panel systems this one was a FLIP-flop head both communication 1 and communication 2. Crew unfamiliar with stl and commercial airport chart doesn't list what runways coincide with what frequencys, as they do for atl 10-9 airport chart. Why? Captain's microphone was reported by departure and center as intermittent, hearing only a carrier sometimes (this may be why no response from tower). As more and more airports have split tower frequencys, there needs to be an orderly system. Check commercial msp--uses split frequencys even though only 1 is listed broadcast on ATIS. 10-9 atl has a listing what frequency for what runway. 10-9 dtw has a split ground with delineated hash marks on chart. ATC ground and towers that split frequencys need to delineate on airport map as dtw does, and/or list frequencys as atl 10-9 does.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LOST CONTACT WITH THE TWR AFTER TAXIING INTO POSITION FOR TKOF. TWIN TURBO ON APCH HAD TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: TAXIED OUT TO RWY 30R, STL, F/O SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ 118.5. I LOOKED AT RADIO AND CONFIRMED THE FREQ BY X-CHKING MY COMMERCIAL CHARTS. WE WAITED ABOUT 2 MINS AFTER HEARING ONLY 30L CONVERSATION, AND BEING UNFAMILIAR, I RECHKED MY STL CHART AND NOTICED N FREQ 120.05. F/O SWITCHED THE #2 RADIO TO 120.05 SO AS NOT TO MISS ANY COMS. SHORTLY WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD, AND TO BE READY FOR AN IMMEDIATE. THE F/O READ THIS BACK ON #2. I TAXIED INTO POS. WE SWITCHED THE #1 RADIO TO 120.05 (SINCE COMPANY PROC IS TO LEAVE #2 ON SELCAL FREQS). WE HEARD NO CLRNC FOR TKOF. I CALLED THE TWR TO QUESTION. NO RESPONSE. THEN WE SAW A TURBO PROP ON A GAR ON 30R. TWR TOLD US TO TAXI DOWN RWY, TURN LEFT AT SECOND TXWY AND GET BACK IN LINE, WHICH WE DID. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: COMPANY HAS 5 DIFFERENT RADIO/AUDIO PANEL SYSTEMS THIS ONE WAS A FLIP-FLOP HEAD BOTH COM 1 AND COM 2. CREW UNFAMILIAR WITH STL AND COMMERCIAL ARPT CHART DOESN'T LIST WHAT RWYS COINCIDE WITH WHAT FREQS, AS THEY DO FOR ATL 10-9 ARPT CHART. WHY? CAPT'S MIC WAS RPTED BY DEP AND CENTER AS INTERMITTENT, HEARING ONLY A CARRIER SOMETIMES (THIS MAY BE WHY NO RESPONSE FROM TWR). AS MORE AND MORE ARPTS HAVE SPLIT TWR FREQS, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ORDERLY SYS. CHK COMMERCIAL MSP--USES SPLIT FREQS EVEN THOUGH ONLY 1 IS LISTED BROADCAST ON ATIS. 10-9 ATL HAS A LISTING WHAT FREQ FOR WHAT RWY. 10-9 DTW HAS A SPLIT GND WITH DELINEATED HASH MARKS ON CHART. ATC GND AND TWRS THAT SPLIT FREQS NEED TO DELINEATE ON ARPT MAP AS DTW DOES, AND/OR LIST FREQS AS ATL 10-9 DOES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.