Narrative:

Tower at stl. Flying into stl all month. This is the second time that this has happened. We are on final inside the outer marker for runway 30R and along with the landing clearance tower advises us of our gate status and instructions for taxi after landing. Obviously this is an air carrier thing but it is very inappropriate timing for the gate advisory and taxi on final when checklists are being run. Especially when we are not expecting it. It seems that all the information provided could be given after landing, at a much less critical time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain states that he was not ready to accept taxi information while still airborne. The taxi clearance surprised him. He was told his gate was occupied and to taxi to the holding area. He and many other pilots of this air carrier are not that familiar with this procedure at stl. He also notes that there is a lot of local 'slang' being used by the tower. He thinks that the tower should follow commonly used practices followed at all other towers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CAPT RPTS THE ATCT LCL CTLR IS GIVING TAXI AND GATE INFO WHILE THE ACFT IS STILL INFLT AND ON LOW APCH.

Narrative: TWR AT STL. FLYING INTO STL ALL MONTH. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. WE ARE ON FINAL INSIDE THE OUTER MARKER FOR RWY 30R AND ALONG WITH THE LNDG CLRNC TWR ADVISES US OF OUR GATE STATUS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAXI AFTER LNDG. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS AN ACR THING BUT IT IS VERY INAPPROPRIATE TIMING FOR THE GATE ADVISORY AND TAXI ON FINAL WHEN CHKLISTS ARE BEING RUN. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE NOT EXPECTING IT. IT SEEMS THAT ALL THE INFO PROVIDED COULD BE GIVEN AFTER LNDG, AT A MUCH LESS CRITICAL TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT STATES THAT HE WAS NOT READY TO ACCEPT TAXI INFO WHILE STILL AIRBORNE. THE TAXI CLRNC SURPRISED HIM. HE WAS TOLD HIS GATE WAS OCCUPIED AND TO TAXI TO THE HOLDING AREA. HE AND MANY OTHER PLTS OF THIS ACR ARE NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROC AT STL. HE ALSO NOTES THAT THERE IS A LOT OF LOCAL 'SLANG' BEING USED BY THE TWR. HE THINKS THAT THE TWR SHOULD FOLLOW COMMONLY USED PRACTICES FOLLOWED AT ALL OTHER TWRS.

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.