Are US Tower / Ground handover procedures different from Europe?
 

Relatively new to US operations and can't find anything online which addresses this issue.
When about to cross / vacate a runway and told by tower which exit to use and contact ground do you expect me to wait until clear of the active runway before making the call to ground.
In Europe we wait until the tail is clear before transferring to tower.
The guy I flew with into LAX after we had landed on 24 R and held short of 24 L who suggested we call ground whilst the nose was still on 24 L (which had an aircraft about to depart). Thanks in advance.

Sounds like the proverbial 'accident wating to happen'.

Whilst not in the US, but close, our local procedures dictate that when transfer from tower to ground is made in a similar scenario (landing on one runway and crossing the close parallel) the aircraft should at least be on the runway to be crossed (i.e. not in between) when the frequency change instruction is given. By the time you have pushed the button to change frequency and listened for a few seconds to make sure you're not butting in (you do that don't you?) you'll be off the runway.

There is not much room on the other side before interaction with ground traffic occurs, so we also pass a taxy instruction, if possible, to keep you moving clear of the runway environment. e.g. "Cross 24R, turn right on Delta".

Bear in mind there may be more aircraft crossing the runway simultaneously, some at different exits and maybe someone behind you. It is imperative that you follow the additional routing given by tower to enable following traffic to exit the runway behind you. We expect you to make contact with ground before you enter another intersection. A "hold short" is not always given as if you miss the read back we have to chase it down and it creates RT congestion.

From my experience of operating into LAX the problem was mainly when exiting 24R at AA. There is little time to check in with GND and they need to know the gate number immediately in order to decide whether to route you via the bridge on AA or turn left immediately onto taxiway ECHO. We would usually have the GND frequency set on the other box so that we could call them and still monitor the TWR.

So you'd call ground whilst between the parallels just to see if they'll want you on the bridge or E?

If ground is busy and doesn't realize you're still between the runways and says "taxy via E" you could conceivably cross the runway with departing traffic on it. You are sucking the ground controller in.

This happens here still but we're attuned to it and ground will tell you to hold position and go back to tower even if you've been given a crossing clearance but no frequency change.

Maybe the tower there could be more proactive and lead you into the appropriate taxiway?

Tenerife was one of my first CRM day case studies. It stayed with me that 25 seconds before KLM rotated into PAN AM the latter called to KLM we are still on the runway. Crossed transmission resulted in call being missed...so for me I will always stay with Tower and if that upsets the ground controller it is unfortunate. Does anyone have a link to the above ICAO procedure that states aircraft on a live runway should remain with Tower?

LAX has had one accident and two very near misses in the last thirty years and historically up to eighteen runway incursions every year. Thirty seconds before KLM hit the Pan Am at TFN Pan Am transmitted I want to be on Tower to be in a position to make that call. Really surprised that with all the procedural trivia that is written this is not spelt out anywhere.

Cossack - Of course I listen out before transmitting. Unfortunately in the US airports I visit there is NO communication between ramp,ground or tower on stand allocation so in the 24R LAX example neither tower nor ground know which way to route you after leaving the runway.

Fly 3 - Using both boxes is what we do at New York as we vacate and is probably what I will do in LAX from now on.