Narrative:

I was working ground control 2 (GC2) at the end of the morning arrival push. A C206 on my frequency was taxiing to runway 36C via txwys C; east; and J. A CRJ2 had landed on runway 36R and was instructed by local control 1 (LC1) to '...turn left; cross runway 36C at papa; and contact ground .65 on the other side.' by issuing the CRJ2 121.65; the CRJ2 would contact GC1 instead of GC2 who controls the txwys on that part of the airport. Many local controllers at mem issue 121.65 to aircraft that are known to be parking on the other side of the airport; as this frequency change will save the pilot and GC1 some time and trouble on most instances. There is no procedure for doing this; and it is merely one of many techniques that are utilized here. Some LC2 controllers will coordinate this; while others do not. I did not observe the CRJ2 coming across runway 36C towards the sbound C206 on taxiway C. My C206 thought that he had the right of way. The crossing CRJ2 thought that he had the right of way. LC2 thought that I would hold my traffic for the crossing CRJ2; and I thought that the CRJ2 would never be a factor. Adding to the confusion is a mem procedure which requires GC1 and GC2 to 'give way' to all aircraft that are 'exiting' the runway. I have previously interpreted this as all aircraft that have 'landed and are exiting the runway;' and not necessarily any aircraft that happens to be crossing a runway. The CRJ2 was required to hit the brakes hard and turn to the right in order to avoid hitting the C206. When the CRJ2 checked in with GC1; the pilot was upset and questioned GC1 about our 'local procedures' for this type of situation. He said that the same thing had happened earlier this morning at this departure airport. The CRJ2 and C206 pilots were trusting ATC to keep them separated from all other taxiing traffic on the ground; and they were both taxiing with clrncs absent of any holding instructions or give-way restrs. The bottom line for me; is that there is no defined procedure for this type of situation -- it's just basic ATC. I saw the potential conflict; but made an assumption that things would turn out a certain way. Next time I will tell LC2 to pass behind my traffic; or I will tell LC2 that I want to talk to the traffic even though the traffic is parking on the other side of the airport. I/we need to work together better as a team.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM GND CTLR DESCRIBED CONFLICT WHEN ACFT XING RWY 36C AT TXWY P CONFLICTED WITH TAXIING ACFT ON TXWY C.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING GND CTL 2 (GC2) AT THE END OF THE MORNING ARR PUSH. A C206 ON MY FREQ WAS TAXIING TO RWY 36C VIA TXWYS C; E; AND J. A CRJ2 HAD LANDED ON RWY 36R AND WAS INSTRUCTED BY LCL CTL 1 (LC1) TO '...TURN L; CROSS RWY 36C AT PAPA; AND CONTACT GND .65 ON THE OTHER SIDE.' BY ISSUING THE CRJ2 121.65; THE CRJ2 WOULD CONTACT GC1 INSTEAD OF GC2 WHO CTLS THE TXWYS ON THAT PART OF THE ARPT. MANY LCL CTLRS AT MEM ISSUE 121.65 TO ACFT THAT ARE KNOWN TO BE PARKING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARPT; AS THIS FREQ CHANGE WILL SAVE THE PLT AND GC1 SOME TIME AND TROUBLE ON MOST INSTANCES. THERE IS NO PROC FOR DOING THIS; AND IT IS MERELY ONE OF MANY TECHNIQUES THAT ARE UTILIZED HERE. SOME LC2 CTLRS WILL COORDINATE THIS; WHILE OTHERS DO NOT. I DID NOT OBSERVE THE CRJ2 COMING ACROSS RWY 36C TOWARDS THE SBOUND C206 ON TXWY C. MY C206 THOUGHT THAT HE HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY. THE XING CRJ2 THOUGHT THAT HE HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY. LC2 THOUGHT THAT I WOULD HOLD MY TFC FOR THE XING CRJ2; AND I THOUGHT THAT THE CRJ2 WOULD NEVER BE A FACTOR. ADDING TO THE CONFUSION IS A MEM PROC WHICH REQUIRES GC1 AND GC2 TO 'GIVE WAY' TO ALL ACFT THAT ARE 'EXITING' THE RWY. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY INTERPRETED THIS AS ALL ACFT THAT HAVE 'LANDED AND ARE EXITING THE RWY;' AND NOT NECESSARILY ANY ACFT THAT HAPPENS TO BE XING A RWY. THE CRJ2 WAS REQUIRED TO HIT THE BRAKES HARD AND TURN TO THE R IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING THE C206. WHEN THE CRJ2 CHKED IN WITH GC1; THE PLT WAS UPSET AND QUESTIONED GC1 ABOUT OUR 'LCL PROCS' FOR THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. HE SAID THAT THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED EARLIER THIS MORNING AT THIS DEP ARPT. THE CRJ2 AND C206 PLTS WERE TRUSTING ATC TO KEEP THEM SEPARATED FROM ALL OTHER TAXIING TFC ON THE GND; AND THEY WERE BOTH TAXIING WITH CLRNCS ABSENT OF ANY HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS OR GIVE-WAY RESTRS. THE BOTTOM LINE FOR ME; IS THAT THERE IS NO DEFINED PROC FOR THIS TYPE OF SITUATION -- IT'S JUST BASIC ATC. I SAW THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT; BUT MADE AN ASSUMPTION THAT THINGS WOULD TURN OUT A CERTAIN WAY. NEXT TIME I WILL TELL LC2 TO PASS BEHIND MY TFC; OR I WILL TELL LC2 THAT I WANT TO TALK TO THE TFC EVEN THOUGH THE TFC IS PARKING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARPT. I/WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER BETTER AS A TEAM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.