Non standard ATC phraseology at stl.

Attributes
ACN	548710
Time
Date	200205
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : las.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	548710
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

I am concerned about nonstandard ATC instruction on the ground in stl. I have noticed this on my last several flts there. First, after push off, ramp said to call ground metering. Ground metering said to monitor ground. After a long delay, ground said, 'are you moving to spot 'H' yet?' this implied we should have known we were to go to spot 'H.' how were we to know this? Is there some unwritten procedure to use spot 'H' when departing runway 12? Second we were on 'east' holding short of runway 12R. The controller said, 'cleared to cross, hold short of runway 12L at the number one spot.' we asked him if he meant east or C, hold short of 12L. He then repeated his clearance about the number one spot with his tone implying we should know what that means. There is no number one spot on my charts or painted on the pavement that I could find. I think safety is reduced when instructions are used or implied that make sense only to crews who frequently use the airport. As a pilot based in ord, I do not get to stl very often.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON STANDARD ATC PHRASEOLOGY AT STL.

Narrative: I AM CONCERNED ABOUT NONSTANDARD ATC INSTRUCTION ON THE GND IN STL. I HAVE NOTICED THIS ON MY LAST SEVERAL FLTS THERE. FIRST, AFTER PUSH OFF, RAMP SAID TO CALL GND METERING. GND METERING SAID TO MONITOR GND. AFTER A LONG DELAY, GND SAID, 'ARE YOU MOVING TO SPOT 'H' YET?' THIS IMPLIED WE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WE WERE TO GO TO SPOT 'H.' HOW WERE WE TO KNOW THIS? IS THERE SOME UNWRITTEN PROC TO USE SPOT 'H' WHEN DEPARTING RWY 12? SECOND WE WERE ON 'E' HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 12R. THE CTLR SAID, 'CLRED TO CROSS, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12L AT THE NUMBER ONE SPOT.' WE ASKED HIM IF HE MEANT E OR C, HOLD SHORT OF 12L. HE THEN REPEATED HIS CLRNC ABOUT THE NUMBER ONE SPOT WITH HIS TONE IMPLYING WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. THERE IS NO NUMBER ONE SPOT ON MY CHARTS OR PAINTED ON THE PAVEMENT THAT I COULD FIND. I THINK SAFETY IS REDUCED WHEN INSTRUCTIONS ARE USED OR IMPLIED THAT MAKE SENSE ONLY TO CREWS WHO FREQUENTLY USE THE ARPT. AS A PLT BASED IN ORD, I DO NOT GET TO STL VERY OFTEN.

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.