Narrative:

Location: stl. Stl tower has all aircraft landing on the outside runway go to ground control to cross an active runway. First, this is nonstandard from every other airport I am aware of. Second, this does not, in my opinion, comply with part 1, and finally, if the FAA says that runway incursions are the hottest item or problem, then this should be changed, or if it is the best way to do it, then all the other airports should be doing the same. I have written this up before to union safety with no response. I have written this up twice to company and been told that ground control is a tower frequency, which I strongly disagree with. I have called company safety twice and am still awaiting a response. Please forward this to someone who can act on this very serious and, in my opinion, dangerous situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he has been concerned with the ground operations at stl for approximately 5 yrs. When brought to the attention of his union, the answer he received was 'ground control is considered a tower frequency.' the reporter also related that at some point his chief pilot visited the stl tower and was told that stl was given a special exemption concerning the handling of ground traffic, ie, in certain sits ground control was in charge of clearing traffic to cross an active runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN F100 CREW CONCERNED ABOUT STL GND CTL PROCS.

Narrative: LOCATION: STL. STL TWR HAS ALL ACFT LNDG ON THE OUTSIDE RWY GO TO GND CTL TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY. FIRST, THIS IS NONSTANDARD FROM EVERY OTHER ARPT I AM AWARE OF. SECOND, THIS DOES NOT, IN MY OPINION, COMPLY WITH PART 1, AND FINALLY, IF THE FAA SAYS THAT RWY INCURSIONS ARE THE HOTTEST ITEM OR PROB, THEN THIS SHOULD BE CHANGED, OR IF IT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT, THEN ALL THE OTHER ARPTS SHOULD BE DOING THE SAME. I HAVE WRITTEN THIS UP BEFORE TO UNION SAFETY WITH NO RESPONSE. I HAVE WRITTEN THIS UP TWICE TO COMPANY AND BEEN TOLD THAT GND CTL IS A TWR FREQ, WHICH I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH. I HAVE CALLED COMPANY SAFETY TWICE AND AM STILL AWAITING A RESPONSE. PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO SOMEONE WHO CAN ACT ON THIS VERY SERIOUS AND, IN MY OPINION, DANGEROUS SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE HAS BEEN CONCERNED WITH THE GND OPS AT STL FOR APPROX 5 YRS. WHEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF HIS UNION, THE ANSWER HE RECEIVED WAS 'GND CTL IS CONSIDERED A TWR FREQ.' THE RPTR ALSO RELATED THAT AT SOME POINT HIS CHIEF PLT VISITED THE STL TWR AND WAS TOLD THAT STL WAS GIVEN A SPECIAL EXEMPTION CONCERNING THE HANDLING OF GND TFC, IE, IN CERTAIN SITS GND CTL WAS IN CHARGE OF CLRING TFC TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY.

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.