Narrative:

The dtw ground control procedures have bothered me for some time. Today was a perfect example: to push back from gate C-19 we call ramp control on 130.75. To taxi we call ground metering on 120.42. They say expect runway 3C and monitor east ground on 119.45. We monitor and they tell us to taxi to runway 3L (not 3C) via taxiway F to taxiway U and hold short of taxiway west. Just prior to taxiway west we are instructed to contact south ground on 132.72. We contact south ground at taxiway west and they tell us to continue taxi to runway 3L. Upon turning from taxiway U to taxiway Y ground asks who we are. We identify ourselves -- no problem. But there is a problem! With all this micro-managing, specific areas of responsibility, 3 ground control frequency, 1 ground monitor frequency, and 1 ramp control -- how did they not know who we were! In addition to the scenario I just described, there are other things that both me about dtw ground control: 1) sometimes there are 3 separate frequencys and other times there is only 1 combined frequency (ord has just 1 -- 121.9). 2) when they are combined it is confusing because aircraft are transmitting on different frequency and ground control transmits on all frequencys. 3) there are standard taxi rtes to departure runways. Use of standard route clearance is inconsistent. Standard route taxi clearance requires automatic frequency change at specific location, but only if you get the 'standard taxi' to departure runway. Sometimes you get to the frequency switchover point only to find the same ground controller working both frequencys. 4) today some aircraft were on 'standard taxi,' others were specifically rted. 5) after landing, the same thing -- sometimes combined ground control, other times separate ground control -- you never feel good about being on the right frequency or who is talking to whom. There now I feel better. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that dtw is a dynamic airport but ATC has not figured out what they want. There are too many frequencys and it is not that big of an airport. Since the tower was moved controllers do have difficulty seeing the main terminal area. Reporter understands and appreciates the 'standard route' for taxi as it simplifies communication. But when ground assigns the 'standard' and then modifies and has aircraft switch and not switch frequencys it is more confusing than ever. He suggests they use 100 percent of the standard route or don't call it the standard route. Pilots cannot predict what the procedure is actually going to be. On arrival pilots are switched from 1 local controller to another after crossing 1 runway and waiting to cross the next. This means a head down in the cockpit and not outside while on active runways and txwys. Reporter was most upset at receiving clearance and upon response being asked to identify themselves. Kind of a backward approach for a clearance. A new runway has opened at dtw recently and they now have a separate frequency for that runway. More confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG COMPLAINT REGARDING TAXI PROC AT DTW. TOO MANY FREQ CHANGES AND CONFUSING INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: THE DTW GND CTL PROCS HAVE BOTHERED ME FOR SOME TIME. TODAY WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE: TO PUSH BACK FROM GATE C-19 WE CALL RAMP CTL ON 130.75. TO TAXI WE CALL GND METERING ON 120.42. THEY SAY EXPECT RWY 3C AND MONITOR E GND ON 119.45. WE MONITOR AND THEY TELL US TO TAXI TO RWY 3L (NOT 3C) VIA TXWY F TO TXWY U AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY W. JUST PRIOR TO TXWY W WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT S GND ON 132.72. WE CONTACT S GND AT TXWY W AND THEY TELL US TO CONTINUE TAXI TO RWY 3L. UPON TURNING FROM TXWY U TO TXWY Y GND ASKS WHO WE ARE. WE IDENT OURSELVES -- NO PROB. BUT THERE IS A PROB! WITH ALL THIS MICRO-MANAGING, SPECIFIC AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY, 3 GND CTL FREQ, 1 GND MONITOR FREQ, AND 1 RAMP CTL -- HOW DID THEY NOT KNOW WHO WE WERE! IN ADDITION TO THE SCENARIO I JUST DESCRIBED, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT BOTH ME ABOUT DTW GND CTL: 1) SOMETIMES THERE ARE 3 SEPARATE FREQS AND OTHER TIMES THERE IS ONLY 1 COMBINED FREQ (ORD HAS JUST 1 -- 121.9). 2) WHEN THEY ARE COMBINED IT IS CONFUSING BECAUSE ACFT ARE XMITTING ON DIFFERENT FREQ AND GND CTL XMITS ON ALL FREQS. 3) THERE ARE STANDARD TAXI RTES TO DEP RWYS. USE OF STANDARD RTE CLRNC IS INCONSISTENT. STANDARD RTE TAXI CLRNC REQUIRES AUTOMATIC FREQ CHANGE AT SPECIFIC LOCATION, BUT ONLY IF YOU GET THE 'STANDARD TAXI' TO DEP RWY. SOMETIMES YOU GET TO THE FREQ SWITCHOVER POINT ONLY TO FIND THE SAME GND CTLR WORKING BOTH FREQS. 4) TODAY SOME ACFT WERE ON 'STANDARD TAXI,' OTHERS WERE SPECIFICALLY RTED. 5) AFTER LNDG, THE SAME THING -- SOMETIMES COMBINED GND CTL, OTHER TIMES SEPARATE GND CTL -- YOU NEVER FEEL GOOD ABOUT BEING ON THE R FREQ OR WHO IS TALKING TO WHOM. THERE NOW I FEEL BETTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT DTW IS A DYNAMIC ARPT BUT ATC HAS NOT FIGURED OUT WHAT THEY WANT. THERE ARE TOO MANY FREQS AND IT IS NOT THAT BIG OF AN ARPT. SINCE THE TWR WAS MOVED CTLRS DO HAVE DIFFICULTY SEEING THE MAIN TERMINAL AREA. RPTR UNDERSTANDS AND APPRECIATES THE 'STANDARD RTE' FOR TAXI AS IT SIMPLIFIES COM. BUT WHEN GND ASSIGNS THE 'STANDARD' AND THEN MODIFIES AND HAS ACFT SWITCH AND NOT SWITCH FREQS IT IS MORE CONFUSING THAN EVER. HE SUGGESTS THEY USE 100 PERCENT OF THE STANDARD RTE OR DON'T CALL IT THE STANDARD RTE. PLTS CANNOT PREDICT WHAT THE PROC IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE. ON ARR PLTS ARE SWITCHED FROM 1 LCL CTLR TO ANOTHER AFTER XING 1 RWY AND WAITING TO CROSS THE NEXT. THIS MEANS A HEAD DOWN IN THE COCKPIT AND NOT OUTSIDE WHILE ON ACTIVE RWYS AND TXWYS. RPTR WAS MOST UPSET AT RECEIVING CLRNC AND UPON RESPONSE BEING ASKED TO IDENT THEMSELVES. KIND OF A BACKWARD APCH FOR A CLRNC. A NEW RWY HAS OPENED AT DTW RECENTLY AND THEY NOW HAVE A SEPARATE FREQ FOR THAT RWY. MORE CONFUSION.

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.