ACR FLT CREW CLEARED FOR AN APCH THEY WERE NOT EXPECTING.

Narrative

ENRTE TO STL; AIRLINES FLT MLG X RECEIVED ATIS INFO X-RAY WITH A TIME OF XA16Z. UPON SWITCHING TO STL APCH AT APPROX XA30-XA35Z; RPTED TO CTLR WE HAD INFO X-RAY. (-X9 OVC TRW & 52/51/3409/29.98/ILS 30R.) DUE TO A LINE OF TSTMS IN THE STL AREA; WE WERE COMING IN FROM THE S AND CONCENTRATING ON THE WX DURING OUR DSCNT. WE WERE HEADING TOWARD THE STL VOR NW OF THE ARPT; BUT WE WERE ON A HDG THAT TOOK US THROUGH THE LINE OF STORMS AT A THIN SPOT AND THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE TURNED DOWNWIND AFTER WE GOT THROUGH THE STORMS. THE CTLR THEN TURNED US TO A 120 DEG HDG AND TOLD US WE WERE ON A 12 MI FINAL; CLRED ILS 12R. WE SCRAMBLED TO GET OUT THE PROPER APCH CHART; RETUNE ALL RADIOS; AND QUICKLY FIGURE OUT THE APCH WHILE WE CONFIGURED FOR THE APCH. THE COCKPIT WORKLOAD WAS EXTREMELY HIGH. WE WERE NEVER TOLD BY THE CTLR THAT THERE WAS A RWY CHANGE (LESS THAN 20 MINS AFTER ATIS INFO X-RAY). STL APCH IS FAMOUS (OR INFAMOUS) FOR CHANGING YOUR RWY AT THE LAST MINUTE IN IFR/IMC CONDITIONS. MOST AIRLINES (INCLUDING OURS) REQUIRES THAT IFR APCHES BE REVIEWED AND BRIEFED. CONDITIONS AT STL PRECLUDE ORDERLY APCHES AND IMPAIR SAFETY. STL APCH NEEDS TO REVAMP THEIR PROCS TO ENSURE THAT CREWS HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO PREPARE FOR AN APCH IN IMC CONDITIONS. EVEN THE FREQUENT CHANGES FROM 30R TO 30L TO 30R WITHIN 12 MI OF THE ARPT ARE UNSATISFACTORY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: IN THIS RPTR'S VIEW; CHANGING RWYS AT THE LAST MINUTE IS A COMMON PRACTICE AT STL. THERE CHANGES ARE NOT ALWAYS FROM RWY 30 TO 12; OR 12 TO 30; BUT MOST OFTEN A CHANGE FROM 30R TO 30L AND THEN BACK TO 30R. THIS NECESSITATES A CHANGE TO NEW CHARTS EACH TIME; AND CREATES A SERIOUS DISTR FOR THE CREW AT A TIME WHEN THINGS SHOULD BE MORE SETTLED AND STABILIZED. ANALYST SUGGESTED TO THE RPTR THAT HE CONTACT THE MGMNT AT STL AND CONVEY HIS CONCERN AND SUGGESTION FOR A BETTER WAY. RPTR STATED THAT WITH 10 MIN TURNAROUNDS AT STL; IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE A TELEPHONE CALL; BUT THAT HE WOULD MAKE AN EFFORT TO GET THIS DONE SOON.