Narrative:

At dtw we were issued a 20 min gate hold, due to cvg traffic, before being released for the flight. The flight was routine until shortly after being handed off to cvg approach. The WX at cvg was 1100' broken and 4 mi in fog, with lndgs to the west. Shortly after being handed off to approach we were asked if we would be a full stop landing. We replied affirmative. We were then put on a southwesterly vector. A few moments later we were asked if we would accept a landing at lunken airport rather than at greater cincinnati. Since we were to conduct the radar seminar at a motel near cvg, we declined. The controller then advised us that because one of the east/west runways was closed, we could expect delaying vectors for 15 to 20 mins. Over the next 15 mins we were given numerous vectors, so rapid in succession we were seldom in level flight long enough to allow our magnetic compass to stabilize so we could reset our unslaved dg. We were then lowered to 4000' and asked for our best speed. We informed ATC that would be 150 KTS. ATC then asked if we could give them 170 KTS. We answered negative because 170 KTS would have put us near yellow line for the aircraft and the air was quite turbulent. Next we were given several vectors in rapid succession. At one point the controller became agitated because our headings were off due to an inability to reset our dg accurately in the rough air and constant maneuvers. We were vectored directly over the airport several times, according to our RNAV, which made it all but impossible to maintain an orientation relative to the final approach course. We were then asked to begin a 360 degree left turn and to remain in the turn until receiving further instructions. We asked if we could reduce our speed from 150 KTS, which required a high cruise power setting, but the request was denied. We completed approximately 6-360 degree turns during which we were descended to 3000'. Fortunately in the broken conditions we did have ground contact while in the unorthodox holding pattern. Finally we were given a vector for the approach. We were instructed to maintain 150 KTS until on a 2 mi final and then handed off to tower. Upon contacting tower, we were told again to maintain 150 KTS until a 2 mi final. Interestingly, our gear and flap sep is 110 KTS. As we began to slow to gear and flap sep (in a descent, notice) tower instructed us to make the first available turn off the runway due to traffic immediately behind us. By pulling all power off, and thus shock cooling our engines, plus lowering gear and flaps at 10-15 KTS above the appropriate V speeds, and finally abusing our brakes and tires terribly, we complied with the command to make the first turnoff. In summary, I am certain we breached several far's during this sequence of events. But it couldn't have been nearly as many as were breached by ATC. I pride myself in being able to accommodate ATC when flying a slow aircraft in a big aircraft mix. I have been doing it for 30 yrs. But in all those yrs I have never before encountered traffic management as unsafe as it was at greater cincinnati in 5/89. I would have allowed it to pass west/O comment were it not for the fact that my clients in the radar seminar the next day, all professional pilots, assured me that I had received normal handling for IFR operations into grater cincinnati airport. The manager of the facility should be required to conduct training programs for his staff with emphasis on how to properly handle a slow aircraft in a big aircraft mix. Rather than begin vectored endlessly, we should have been put in a proper holding pattern. By no means should we have ever been put in a continuous turn. The reason for the race track pattern of the conventional holding maneuver is to allow the pilot time to reset his or her directinal gyro and allow time for the attitude gyro erection circuit to correct for precession. In addition, periods of level flight lessens the chance for vertigo to develop in the pilot. We should have never been instructed to conduct an unstabilized approach after crossing the marker. Finally, when the spacing between us and the following aircraft became critical, we shouldnot have been asked to compensate for an ATC error. Had we been a less experienced pilot, conducting a single pilot operation, an accident may well have resulted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POOR ATC HANDLING. CONSTANT VECTORING WITH NO STRAIGHT AND LEVEL BETWEEN TURNS. PUT INTO CIRCLING 'HOLDING PATTERN.' ASKED TO MAINTAIN HIGH SPEED, THEN TURN OFF AT FIRST TXWY.

Narrative: AT DTW WE WERE ISSUED A 20 MIN GATE HOLD, DUE TO CVG TFC, BEFORE BEING RELEASED FOR THE FLT. THE FLT WAS ROUTINE UNTIL SHORTLY AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO CVG APCH. THE WX AT CVG WAS 1100' BROKEN AND 4 MI IN FOG, WITH LNDGS TO THE W. SHORTLY AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO APCH WE WERE ASKED IF WE WOULD BE A FULL STOP LNDG. WE REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. WE WERE THEN PUT ON A SOUTHWESTERLY VECTOR. A FEW MOMENTS LATER WE WERE ASKED IF WE WOULD ACCEPT A LNDG AT LUNKEN ARPT RATHER THAN AT GREATER CINCINNATI. SINCE WE WERE TO CONDUCT THE RADAR SEMINAR AT A MOTEL NEAR CVG, WE DECLINED. THE CTLR THEN ADVISED US THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE E/W RWYS WAS CLOSED, WE COULD EXPECT DELAYING VECTORS FOR 15 TO 20 MINS. OVER THE NEXT 15 MINS WE WERE GIVEN NUMEROUS VECTORS, SO RAPID IN SUCCESSION WE WERE SELDOM IN LEVEL FLT LONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW OUR MAGNETIC COMPASS TO STABILIZE SO WE COULD RESET OUR UNSLAVED DG. WE WERE THEN LOWERED TO 4000' AND ASKED FOR OUR BEST SPD. WE INFORMED ATC THAT WOULD BE 150 KTS. ATC THEN ASKED IF WE COULD GIVE THEM 170 KTS. WE ANSWERED NEGATIVE BECAUSE 170 KTS WOULD HAVE PUT US NEAR YELLOW LINE FOR THE ACFT AND THE AIR WAS QUITE TURBULENT. NEXT WE WERE GIVEN SEVERAL VECTORS IN RAPID SUCCESSION. AT ONE POINT THE CTLR BECAME AGITATED BECAUSE OUR HDGS WERE OFF DUE TO AN INABILITY TO RESET OUR DG ACCURATELY IN THE ROUGH AIR AND CONSTANT MANEUVERS. WE WERE VECTORED DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT SEVERAL TIMES, ACCORDING TO OUR RNAV, WHICH MADE IT ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN AN ORIENTATION RELATIVE TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. WE WERE THEN ASKED TO BEGIN A 360 DEG LEFT TURN AND TO REMAIN IN THE TURN UNTIL RECEIVING FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. WE ASKED IF WE COULD REDUCE OUR SPD FROM 150 KTS, WHICH REQUIRED A HIGH CRUISE PWR SETTING, BUT THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. WE COMPLETED APPROX 6-360 DEG TURNS DURING WHICH WE WERE DSNDED TO 3000'. FORTUNATELY IN THE BROKEN CONDITIONS WE DID HAVE GND CONTACT WHILE IN THE UNORTHODOX HOLDING PATTERN. FINALLY WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR FOR THE APCH. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 150 KTS UNTIL ON A 2 MI FINAL AND THEN HANDED OFF TO TWR. UPON CONTACTING TWR, WE WERE TOLD AGAIN TO MAINTAIN 150 KTS UNTIL A 2 MI FINAL. INTERESTINGLY, OUR GEAR AND FLAP SEP IS 110 KTS. AS WE BEGAN TO SLOW TO GEAR AND FLAP SEP (IN A DSCNT, NOTICE) TWR INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE THE FIRST AVAILABLE TURN OFF THE RWY DUE TO TFC IMMEDIATELY BEHIND US. BY PULLING ALL PWR OFF, AND THUS SHOCK COOLING OUR ENGS, PLUS LOWERING GEAR AND FLAPS AT 10-15 KTS ABOVE THE APPROPRIATE V SPDS, AND FINALLY ABUSING OUR BRAKES AND TIRES TERRIBLY, WE COMPLIED WITH THE COMMAND TO MAKE THE FIRST TURNOFF. IN SUMMARY, I AM CERTAIN WE BREACHED SEVERAL FAR'S DURING THIS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. BUT IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN NEARLY AS MANY AS WERE BREACHED BY ATC. I PRIDE MYSELF IN BEING ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE ATC WHEN FLYING A SLOW ACFT IN A BIG ACFT MIX. I HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR 30 YRS. BUT IN ALL THOSE YRS I HAVE NEVER BEFORE ENCOUNTERED TFC MGMNT AS UNSAFE AS IT WAS AT GREATER CINCINNATI IN 5/89. I WOULD HAVE ALLOWED IT TO PASS W/O COMMENT WERE IT NOT FOR THE FACT THAT MY CLIENTS IN THE RADAR SEMINAR THE NEXT DAY, ALL PROFESSIONAL PLTS, ASSURED ME THAT I HAD RECEIVED NORMAL HANDLING FOR IFR OPS INTO GRATER CINCINNATI ARPT. THE MGR OF THE FAC SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO CONDUCT TRNING PROGRAMS FOR HIS STAFF WITH EMPHASIS ON HOW TO PROPERLY HANDLE A SLOW ACFT IN A BIG ACFT MIX. RATHER THAN BEGIN VECTORED ENDLESSLY, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT IN A PROPER HOLDING PATTERN. BY NO MEANS SHOULD WE HAVE EVER BEEN PUT IN A CONTINUOUS TURN. THE REASON FOR THE RACE TRACK PATTERN OF THE CONVENTIONAL HOLDING MANEUVER IS TO ALLOW THE PLT TIME TO RESET HIS OR HER DIRECTINAL GYRO AND ALLOW TIME FOR THE ATTITUDE GYRO ERECTION CIRCUIT TO CORRECT FOR PRECESSION. IN ADDITION, PERIODS OF LEVEL FLT LESSENS THE CHANCE FOR VERTIGO TO DEVELOP IN THE PLT. WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN INSTRUCTED TO CONDUCT AN UNSTABILIZED APCH AFTER XING THE MARKER. FINALLY, WHEN THE SPACING BTWN US AND THE FOLLOWING ACFT BECAME CRITICAL, WE SHOULDNOT HAVE BEEN ASKED TO COMPENSATE FOR AN ATC ERROR. HAD WE BEEN A LESS EXPERIENCED PLT, CONDUCTING A SINGLE PLT OPERATION, AN ACCIDENT MAY WELL HAVE RESULTED.

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.