Narrative:

After landing on runway 30R at stl, tower said 'turn left and contact ground.' I followed his instructions. I expected to hear 'hold short of runway 30L' and I was approaching runway 30L when my first officer said 'stop' and stl tower said 'air carrier X stop!' I stopped quickly and the nosewheel was close to the hold short line. Then he cleared us to cross runway 30L and taxi to the gate. After the passenger deplaned, I called him on the phone and he assured me that we had not crossed the hold short line. There was no conflict with any other aircraft. I explained to the tower controller that I expected to hear 'hold short of runway 30L' and he explained to me that they do not use that phraseology in stl. To me, this is nonstandard phraseology and could certainly lead to more possible conflicts in the future at stl, especially due to the parallel runway operation there and the amount of traffic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: when challenged by his first officer and the controller as they approached runway 30L, the reporter advised that a commuter aircraft was in the process of exiting from runway 30L. The reporter stated that he was 'expecting' the controller to say something other than a frequency change to ground control, and 'just continued on' until he was altered to the impending situation. The reporter advised that he has not been back to stl since the incident. The reporter stated that he was now much alert to obtain proper runway crossing clrncs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FO CHALLENGES CAPT TO STOP PRIOR TO ENTERING RWY 30L AT STL AT THE SAME TIME CHALLENGED BY LCL CTLR. CAPT NOT FAMILIAR WITH SPECIAL STL CTL TECHNIQUES ISSUED BY GND CTL INSTEAD OF LCL CTL.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 30R AT STL, TWR SAID 'TURN L AND CONTACT GND.' I FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS. I EXPECTED TO HEAR 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30L' AND I WAS APCHING RWY 30L WHEN MY FO SAID 'STOP' AND STL TWR SAID 'ACR X STOP!' I STOPPED QUICKLY AND THE NOSEWHEEL WAS CLOSE TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE. THEN HE CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 30L AND TAXI TO THE GATE. AFTER THE PAX DEPLANED, I CALLED HIM ON THE PHONE AND HE ASSURED ME THAT WE HAD NOT CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ACFT. I EXPLAINED TO THE TWR CTLR THAT I EXPECTED TO HEAR 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30L' AND HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THEY DO NOT USE THAT PHRASEOLOGY IN STL. TO ME, THIS IS NONSTANDARD PHRASEOLOGY AND COULD CERTAINLY LEAD TO MORE POSSIBLE CONFLICTS IN THE FUTURE AT STL, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE PARALLEL RWY OP THERE AND THE AMOUNT OF TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHEN CHALLENGED BY HIS FO AND THE CTLR AS THEY APCHED RWY 30L, THE RPTR ADVISED THAT A COMMUTER ACFT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF EXITING FROM RWY 30L. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS 'EXPECTING' THE CTLR TO SAY SOMETHING OTHER THAN A FREQ CHANGE TO GND CTL, AND 'JUST CONTINUED ON' UNTIL HE WAS ALTERED TO THE IMPENDING SIT. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT HE HAS NOT BEEN BACK TO STL SINCE THE INCIDENT. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS NOW MUCH ALERT TO OBTAIN PROPER RWY XING CLRNCS.

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.