Pilot had problem of establishing initial contact with approach controller.

Attributes
ACN	146663
Time
Date	199005
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : brv
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : iad
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	146663
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was arriving iad on the coatie 2 arrival and was cleared to contact dca approach control on 118.95. After 5 attempts dca approach final responded to my calls. Controller was having a difficult time responding to calls from myself and numerous other aircraft. Controller responded that he was handling 6 frequencys. All aircraft were having difficulty getting prompt response. Frequency was cluttered with calls. During this time another aircraft called and said he was having pressurization problems and would have to level off at 10000'. Controller completely ignored his call. We were then handed off to dulles approach and continued to a landing at dulles airport. This situation should never be allowed to occur. No controller should ever be put in a position of handling 6 very crowded frequencys. Understaffing for whatever reason is only going to lead to a tragic occurrence. The FAA needs to have imaginative leadership and management. Many of its problems have existed for along time and because of it bureaucratic approach to problem solving nothing has changed for the better.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT HAD PROBLEM OF ESTABLISHING INITIAL CONTACT WITH APCH CTLR.

Narrative: I WAS ARRIVING IAD ON THE COATIE 2 ARR AND WAS CLRED TO CONTACT DCA APCH CTL ON 118.95. AFTER 5 ATTEMPTS DCA APCH FINAL RESPONDED TO MY CALLS. CTLR WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME RESPONDING TO CALLS FROM MYSELF AND NUMEROUS OTHER ACFT. CTLR RESPONDED THAT HE WAS HANDLING 6 FREQS. ALL ACFT WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING PROMPT RESPONSE. FREQ WAS CLUTTERED WITH CALLS. DURING THIS TIME ANOTHER ACFT CALLED AND SAID HE WAS HAVING PRESSURIZATION PROBS AND WOULD HAVE TO LEVEL OFF AT 10000'. CTLR COMPLETELY IGNORED HIS CALL. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO DULLES APCH AND CONTINUED TO A LNDG AT DULLES ARPT. THIS SITUATION SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO OCCUR. NO CTLR SHOULD EVER BE PUT IN A POS OF HANDLING 6 VERY CROWDED FREQS. UNDERSTAFFING FOR WHATEVER REASON IS ONLY GOING TO LEAD TO A TRAGIC OCCURRENCE. THE FAA NEEDS TO HAVE IMAGINATIVE LEADERSHIP AND MGMNT. MANY OF ITS PROBS HAVE EXISTED FOR ALONG TIME AND BECAUSE OF IT BUREAUCRATIC APCH TO PROB SOLVING NOTHING HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER.

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.