Narrative:

Small aircraft X IFR currency warning flight, departed tus for phx noted in remarks section of FAA flight plan, 'destination X FBO request runway 8R/26L landing'. Informed approach controller destination X FBO and requested runway 8R approach and landing. Cleared us from 6000' to 4000' and vectored us straight to midfield at phx where he handed us off to tower. The tower controller told us to cross the approach end of runways 8 for re-entry to the pattern for runway 8L. We informed him of our destination, X FBO. He instructed us to proceed to midfield make right 360 degree for sequencing into the pattern for runway 8R. We made one right 360 around the tower and were told to turn south, then turn west which we did. Apparently the controller thought we were turning into the runway 8R incoming traffic. He told us to remain south of runway 8R (which we were doing!) and repeatedly demanded that we answer him which we could not do because he was jamming the frequency with his babbling! Silence subsequently ensued and a calm voice (supervisor controller) cleared us to land runway 8R which we did. The communication was terrible and the performance of the controller irrational and unprofessional. Supplemental information from acn 141176. No requests to call tower were made. It was just as if the whole event had not occurred. I think this was an incident that occurred due to the layout of the phoenix airport and its heavy traffic flow. The ball was dropped all along the way with regard to repeated attempts on the pilot's part to advise ATC of airport destination and sequence into proper traffic flow. The tower controller's initial instructions were vague as far as where specifically he wanted us to proceed at midfield and where specifically he wanted us to make right 360's. We never were in any danger of turning west or downwind into oncoming traffic for runway 8R, even though that was exactly what we were instructed to do! I think this is an example of poor controller communication with the pilot. What he wanted us to do, and what he instructed us to do were two different entities. As an aside, I am not impressed with the phoenix TCA operation. It consistently adds 15 to 20 mins to every time and a lot of driving all over the sky prior to landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC PLT COM CONTEST OF WILLS.

Narrative: SMA X IFR CURRENCY WARNING FLT, DEPARTED TUS FOR PHX NOTED IN REMARKS SECTION OF FAA FLT PLAN, 'DEST X FBO REQUEST RWY 8R/26L LNDG'. INFORMED APCH CTLR DEST X FBO AND REQUESTED RWY 8R APCH AND LNDG. CLRED US FROM 6000' TO 4000' AND VECTORED US STRAIGHT TO MIDFIELD AT PHX WHERE HE HANDED US OFF TO TWR. THE TWR CTLR TOLD US TO CROSS THE APCH END OF RWYS 8 FOR RE-ENTRY TO THE PATTERN FOR RWY 8L. WE INFORMED HIM OF OUR DEST, X FBO. HE INSTRUCTED US TO PROCEED TO MIDFIELD MAKE R 360 DEG FOR SEQUENCING INTO THE PATTERN FOR RWY 8R. WE MADE ONE R 360 AROUND THE TWR AND WERE TOLD TO TURN S, THEN TURN W WHICH WE DID. APPARENTLY THE CTLR THOUGHT WE WERE TURNING INTO THE RWY 8R INCOMING TFC. HE TOLD US TO REMAIN S OF RWY 8R (WHICH WE WERE DOING!) AND REPEATEDLY DEMANDED THAT WE ANSWER HIM WHICH WE COULD NOT DO BECAUSE HE WAS JAMMING THE FREQ WITH HIS BABBLING! SILENCE SUBSEQUENTLY ENSUED AND A CALM VOICE (SUPVR CTLR) CLRED US TO LAND RWY 8R WHICH WE DID. THE COM WAS TERRIBLE AND THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CTLR IRRATIONAL AND UNPROFESSIONAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 141176. NO REQUESTS TO CALL TWR WERE MADE. IT WAS JUST AS IF THE WHOLE EVENT HAD NOT OCCURRED. I THINK THIS WAS AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED DUE TO THE LAYOUT OF THE PHOENIX ARPT AND ITS HEAVY TFC FLOW. THE BALL WAS DROPPED ALL ALONG THE WAY WITH REGARD TO REPEATED ATTEMPTS ON THE PLT'S PART TO ADVISE ATC OF ARPT DEST AND SEQUENCE INTO PROPER TFC FLOW. THE TWR CTLR'S INITIAL INSTRUCTIONS WERE VAGUE AS FAR AS WHERE SPECIFICALLY HE WANTED US TO PROCEED AT MIDFIELD AND WHERE SPECIFICALLY HE WANTED US TO MAKE R 360'S. WE NEVER WERE IN ANY DANGER OF TURNING W OR DOWNWIND INTO ONCOMING TFC FOR RWY 8R, EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO DO! I THINK THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF POOR CTLR COM WITH THE PLT. WHAT HE WANTED US TO DO, AND WHAT HE INSTRUCTED US TO DO WERE TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES. AS AN ASIDE, I AM NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE PHOENIX TCA OPERATION. IT CONSISTENTLY ADDS 15 TO 20 MINS TO EVERY TIME AND A LOT OF DRIVING ALL OVER THE SKY PRIOR TO LNDG.

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