Incident
During the takeoff roll on runway 30R, an MD-82, registration N954U, collided with a Cessna 441, registration N441KM. The Cessna was positioned on the runway waiting for takeoff clearance.
Sequence of Events
The pilot of the Cessna acted on an apparently preconceived idea that he would use his arrival runway, runway 30R, for departure. After receiving taxi clearance to back-taxi into position and hold on runway 31, the pilot instead taxied into a position at an intersection on runway 30R, which was the assigned departure runway for the MD-82.
The Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) current at the time the Cessna pilot was operating in the Lambert-St. Louis area listed runways 30R and 30L as the active runways for arrivals and departures; there was no mention of the occasional use of runway 31.
Air traffic control personnel were not able to maintain visual contact with the Cessna after it taxied from the well-lighted ramp area into the runway/taxiway environment of the northeast portion of the airport.
An operational ASDE-3, particularly ASDE-3 enhanced with Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS), could be used to supplement visual scan of the northeast portion of the airport.