Narrative:

Flight originated in peoria, il, destination stl. En route we were given a hold at atlas which would have been about 20 mins. Still climbing to our cruise altitude we asked and were given our discretion to slow to holding speed. 20 mi legs were requested and approved. We were issued a clearance to descend to 17000' and to expect to cross 30 mi from the stl VOR at 10000' and 250 KTS. Then we were given a clearance to descend to 10000' and then slow to 250 KTS. We noted that it was very quiet on the frequency--we had not heard any transmission since the last clearance was received. We passed vogel (23 mi) and at about 19 mi out called center and inquired if anyone was still down there. A female controller (male previously) with a very happy, giggly type voice responded, 'oh yes, and contact approach control on 125.15.' we had thought it might be a shift change, and that they might have forgotten us during that time. Upon contacting approach we were met with a very gruff voiced and obviously very irritated and upset controller saying, 'where were you turn left immediately to a 120 degree heading.' in his next transmission gave us a phone # and instructed us to call that # immediately after landing. Then he proceeded to vector us all over the country side (punishment maybe?) with a series of heading and altitude changes that took us way up northwest, much farther than I thought we needed to go considering there were only several other aircraft heard on the frequency. Conclusions: the following observations of the ATC system were noted by myself or had been experienced by other pilots that I talked with. These situations seemed to start on 3/tue/89 and lasted through 3/fri/89. I was flying in that period. Much more holding on the ground and in the air with relatively good WX at destination airports. Excessive vectoring en route and ro approachs. Having to call the next sector 2, 3 or more times--often there would be no answer--going back to the previous frequency resulted in no reply--other aircraft would finally answer you, then center would come on wondering where you were. Center would issue the wrong frequency for the next sector--switching back would result in no reply. Would only answer after repeated calls. Controllers would not acknowledge pilot's readbacks, resulting in the pilot having to repeat it and congesting the frequency. Attitude of some controllers was very bad!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FREQ CHANGE GIVEN LATE ANTAGONIZED NEXT CTLR.

Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED IN PEORIA, IL, DEST STL. ENRTE WE WERE GIVEN A HOLD AT ATLAS WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 20 MINS. STILL CLBING TO OUR CRUISE ALT WE ASKED AND WERE GIVEN OUR DISCRETION TO SLOW TO HOLDING SPD. 20 MI LEGS WERE REQUESTED AND APPROVED. WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO DSND TO 17000' AND TO EXPECT TO CROSS 30 MI FROM THE STL VOR AT 10000' AND 250 KTS. THEN WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND TO 10000' AND THEN SLOW TO 250 KTS. WE NOTED THAT IT WAS VERY QUIET ON THE FREQ--WE HAD NOT HEARD ANY XMISSION SINCE THE LAST CLRNC WAS RECEIVED. WE PASSED VOGEL (23 MI) AND AT ABOUT 19 MI OUT CALLED CENTER AND INQUIRED IF ANYONE WAS STILL DOWN THERE. A FEMALE CTLR (MALE PREVIOUSLY) WITH A VERY HAPPY, GIGGLY TYPE VOICE RESPONDED, 'OH YES, AND CONTACT APCH CTL ON 125.15.' WE HAD THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A SHIFT CHANGE, AND THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN US DURING THAT TIME. UPON CONTACTING APCH WE WERE MET WITH A VERY GRUFF VOICED AND OBVIOUSLY VERY IRRITATED AND UPSET CTLR SAYING, 'WHERE WERE YOU TURN LEFT IMMEDIATELY TO A 120 DEG HDG.' IN HIS NEXT XMISSION GAVE US A PHONE # AND INSTRUCTED US TO CALL THAT # IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG. THEN HE PROCEEDED TO VECTOR US ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SIDE (PUNISHMENT MAYBE?) WITH A SERIES OF HDG AND ALT CHANGES THAT TOOK US WAY UP NW, MUCH FARTHER THAN I THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO GO CONSIDERING THERE WERE ONLY SEVERAL OTHER ACFT HEARD ON THE FREQ. CONCLUSIONS: THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS OF THE ATC SYS WERE NOTED BY MYSELF OR HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED BY OTHER PLTS THAT I TALKED WITH. THESE SITUATIONS SEEMED TO START ON 3/TUE/89 AND LASTED THROUGH 3/FRI/89. I WAS FLYING IN THAT PERIOD. MUCH MORE HOLDING ON THE GND AND IN THE AIR WITH RELATIVELY GOOD WX AT DEST ARPTS. EXCESSIVE VECTORING ENRTE AND RO APCHS. HAVING TO CALL THE NEXT SECTOR 2, 3 OR MORE TIMES--OFTEN THERE WOULD BE NO ANSWER--GOING BACK TO THE PREVIOUS FREQ RESULTED IN NO REPLY--OTHER ACFT WOULD FINALLY ANSWER YOU, THEN CENTER WOULD COME ON WONDERING WHERE YOU WERE. CENTER WOULD ISSUE THE WRONG FREQ FOR THE NEXT SECTOR--SWITCHING BACK WOULD RESULT IN NO REPLY. WOULD ONLY ANSWER AFTER REPEATED CALLS. CTLRS WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE PLT'S READBACKS, RESULTING IN THE PLT HAVING TO REPEAT IT AND CONGESTING THE FREQ. ATTITUDE OF SOME CTLRS WAS VERY BAD!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.