Narrative:

Flying an large transport into sna, we were working approach control inbound form the east and north. I was flying the aircraft and the first officer was communicating with approach control. We were given vectors and told to cross the ILS 19R on a heading of 250 degrees and maintain 4000', then a turn to 360 degrees and descent to 3000'. At this time I noticed an small aircraft high wing aircraft just below us at approximately 3500' less than 1/4 mi from us, and I advised the first officer to let center know I was going to maintain 4000' until the small aircraft was clear. The controller was very busy with many aircraft and was just too concerned with IFR traffic at this point. After the small aircraft was clear we were advised to turn to a heading of 090 degrees and descend to 3000'. About this time we started our turn and at 1 O'clock there was a marine helicopter at our altitude. I stopped our turn to make sure the chopper passed and another delay occurred in turning and descending due to VFR traffic. We descended to 3000', intercepted the ILS and made the approach west/O further problems. There is so much VFR traffic in orange county that I believe the less vectoring that is required of large aircraft, the better the system will be. Almost every flight into this area is a high stress factor for all crews, I'm sure.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LGT DESCENDING AND APCHING SNA FOLLOWING VECTORS AND DESCENT CLRNCS ENCOUNTERED NUMEROUS VFR ACFT MAKING COMPLIANCE WITH APCH CTLRS DIRECTIONS DIFFICULT.

Narrative: FLYING AN LGT INTO SNA, WE WERE WORKING APCH CTL INBND FORM THE E AND N. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND THE F/O WAS COMMUNICATING WITH APCH CTL. WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS AND TOLD TO CROSS THE ILS 19R ON A HDG OF 250 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 4000', THEN A TURN TO 360 DEGS AND DSCNT TO 3000'. AT THIS TIME I NOTICED AN SMA HIGH WING ACFT JUST BELOW US AT APPROX 3500' LESS THAN 1/4 MI FROM US, AND I ADVISED THE F/O TO LET CENTER KNOW I WAS GOING TO MAINTAIN 4000' UNTIL THE SMA WAS CLR. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY WITH MANY ACFT AND WAS JUST TOO CONCERNED WITH IFR TFC AT THIS POINT. AFTER THE SMA WAS CLR WE WERE ADVISED TO TURN TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS AND DSND TO 3000'. ABOUT THIS TIME WE STARTED OUR TURN AND AT 1 O'CLOCK THERE WAS A MARINE HELI AT OUR ALT. I STOPPED OUR TURN TO MAKE SURE THE CHOPPER PASSED AND ANOTHER DELAY OCCURRED IN TURNING AND DSNDING DUE TO VFR TFC. WE DSNDED TO 3000', INTERCEPTED THE ILS AND MADE THE APCH W/O FURTHER PROBS. THERE IS SO MUCH VFR TFC IN ORANGE COUNTY THAT I BELIEVE THE LESS VECTORING THAT IS REQUIRED OF LARGE ACFT, THE BETTER THE SYS WILL BE. ALMOST EVERY FLT INTO THIS AREA IS A HIGH STRESS FACTOR FOR ALL CREWS, I'M SURE.

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.