Narrative:

Taxiing away from the gate at stl, ground control was once again somewhat garbled as though the controller's microphone was too close to his mouth as he spoke with great volume and speed. This happens most times that I've been to stl and I have heard others complain as well. Anyhow, ATC told us to give way to 'the fairchild' and 'taxi to runway 12L, hold short runway 12R at runway 6.' after clarifying that 'the fairchild' was a saab 340, we taxied onto runway 6 and were then cleared to cross runway 12R. At this point, we could have remained on runway 6, short of runway 12L, as the taxi clearance implied, but the captain instead felt more comfortable taxiing off of runway 6 and holding short of runway 12L at taxiway C instead. There were no other aircraft anywhere close to our position to conflict with the captain's decision. Nevertheless, I asked if we should confer with ground to make sure the hold at taxiway C was ok. The captain and I had heard the ground controller forcefully chastise a pilot who made an error in his readback, so the captain in response to my question, made it clear that we would make the slight taxi route change without talking to ground -- so as not to insight his ire. Here are my suggestions for reducing runway incursions and taxi errors: 1) during taxi, both pilots should be using headsets, have their taxi diagrams in front of them, and be concentrating only on taxiing (not starting engines, making cabin announcements, doing flows, or running checklists). 2) controller should speak clearly and at a speed that allows a normal human a fighting chance to copy the clearance. 3) if unsure about routing/position, a pilot should stop and ask, ATC should cooperate by clarifying the pilot's concern in a professional manner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARJ FLC TAXI WITHOUT CLRNC TO NEW POS AT STL WITH CLRNC. CTLR FREQ MGMNT ATTITUDE A CONCERN.

Narrative: TAXIING AWAY FROM THE GATE AT STL, GND CTL WAS ONCE AGAIN SOMEWHAT GARBLED AS THOUGH THE CTLR'S MIKE WAS TOO CLOSE TO HIS MOUTH AS HE SPOKE WITH GREAT VOLUME AND SPD. THIS HAPPENS MOST TIMES THAT I'VE BEEN TO STL AND I HAVE HEARD OTHERS COMPLAIN AS WELL. ANYHOW, ATC TOLD US TO GIVE WAY TO 'THE FAIRCHILD' AND 'TAXI TO RWY 12L, HOLD SHORT RWY 12R AT RWY 6.' AFTER CLARIFYING THAT 'THE FAIRCHILD' WAS A SAAB 340, WE TAXIED ONTO RWY 6 AND WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 12R. AT THIS POINT, WE COULD HAVE REMAINED ON RWY 6, SHORT OF RWY 12L, AS THE TAXI CLRNC IMPLIED, BUT THE CAPT INSTEAD FELT MORE COMFORTABLE TAXIING OFF OF RWY 6 AND HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 12L AT TXWY C INSTEAD. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO OUR POS TO CONFLICT WITH THE CAPT'S DECISION. NEVERTHELESS, I ASKED IF WE SHOULD CONFER WITH GND TO MAKE SURE THE HOLD AT TXWY C WAS OK. THE CAPT AND I HAD HEARD THE GND CTLR FORCEFULLY CHASTISE A PLT WHO MADE AN ERROR IN HIS READBACK, SO THE CAPT IN RESPONSE TO MY QUESTION, MADE IT CLR THAT WE WOULD MAKE THE SLIGHT TAXI RTE CHANGE WITHOUT TALKING TO GND -- SO AS NOT TO INSIGHT HIS IRE. HERE ARE MY SUGGESTIONS FOR REDUCING RWY INCURSIONS AND TAXI ERRORS: 1) DURING TAXI, BOTH PLTS SHOULD BE USING HEADSETS, HAVE THEIR TAXI DIAGRAMS IN FRONT OF THEM, AND BE CONCENTRATING ONLY ON TAXIING (NOT STARTING ENGS, MAKING CABIN ANNOUNCEMENTS, DOING FLOWS, OR RUNNING CHKLISTS). 2) CTLR SHOULD SPEAK CLRLY AND AT A SPD THAT ALLOWS A NORMAL HUMAN A FIGHTING CHANCE TO COPY THE CLRNC. 3) IF UNSURE ABOUT ROUTING/POS, A PLT SHOULD STOP AND ASK, ATC SHOULD COOPERATE BY CLARIFYING THE PLT'S CONCERN IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER.

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.