Narrative:

Referencing the stl commercial plate, we were cleared to taxi to runway 12L via taxiway D and runway 6. There were 2 ground frequencys in use (one not published) and 2 tower frequencys in use. There was confusion as to which frequency we were to use as our taxi progressed. The regular users seemed to know what to do. For us new comers, how about publishing frequency demarcations. (Those little lines of telephones that separate the different areas of communications, like detroit has on its runway depiction) or maybe have the chart company publish instead of tower-north/south, tower frequency -- runway 12L/30R-runway 12R/30L, runway 13/31, runway 6/24, runway 17/35, like other airports do it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter was an first officer in an air carrier carj at the time of this event. He said that he had not flown into stl very often, and did not know about this other frequency used by ground control. He also could not recall the frequency. The flight crew's charts did not show the frequency. Their taxi assignment was to taxi on runway 6 and to go into position on runway 12L. As they approached runway 12L, they switched to the tower frequency and were told by the ATCT local controller that the ground controller had been attempting to contact them on another ground control frequency. When they called on this new frequency, the ground controller was upset with them, and he seemed to think that the frequency was common knowledge to everyone who operated at stl.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CARJ FLC FOUND THAT THERE WAS AN UNLISTED GND CTL FREQ AT STL AND ALMOST ALL OF THE ACR ACFT OPERATING THERE SEEMED TO KNOW OF IT. THIS CREW DID NOT AND THEY DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE ATCT GND CTLR HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT THEM DURING THEIR TAXI.

Narrative: REFING THE STL COMMERCIAL PLATE, WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 12L VIA TXWY D AND RWY 6. THERE WERE 2 GND FREQS IN USE (ONE NOT PUBLISHED) AND 2 TWR FREQS IN USE. THERE WAS CONFUSION AS TO WHICH FREQ WE WERE TO USE AS OUR TAXI PROGRESSED. THE REGULAR USERS SEEMED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO. FOR US NEW COMERS, HOW ABOUT PUBLISHING FREQ DEMARCATIONS. (THOSE LITTLE LINES OF TELEPHONES THAT SEPARATE THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF COMS, LIKE DETROIT HAS ON ITS RWY DEPICTION) OR MAYBE HAVE THE CHART COMPANY PUBLISH INSTEAD OF TWR-N/S, TWR FREQ -- RWY 12L/30R-RWY 12R/30L, RWY 13/31, RWY 6/24, RWY 17/35, LIKE OTHER ARPTS DO IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR WAS AN FO IN AN ACR CARJ AT THE TIME OF THIS EVENT. HE SAID THAT HE HAD NOT FLOWN INTO STL VERY OFTEN, AND DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS OTHER FREQ USED BY GND CTL. HE ALSO COULD NOT RECALL THE FREQ. THE FLC'S CHARTS DID NOT SHOW THE FREQ. THEIR TAXI ASSIGNMENT WAS TO TAXI ON RWY 6 AND TO GO INTO POS ON RWY 12L. AS THEY APCHED RWY 12L, THEY SWITCHED TO THE TWR FREQ AND WERE TOLD BY THE ATCT LCL CTLR THAT THE GND CTLR HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT THEM ON ANOTHER GND CTL FREQ. WHEN THEY CALLED ON THIS NEW FREQ, THE GND CTLR WAS UPSET WITH THEM, AND HE SEEMED TO THINK THAT THE FREQ WAS COMMON KNOWLEDGE TO EVERYONE WHO OPERATED AT STL.

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.