Narrative:

I was returning from an ipc (instrument proficiency check); and was inbound back into san jose on final. Without warning; the controller issued vector instructions directly into terrain. The controller then issued another set of instructions on a different vector; cutting across the approach corridor into sjc; with a speed restriction. This continued for several minutes. At one point; the plane made a complete figure eight; before another controller came online (presumably the supervisor) and gave me different vectors and sequenced me back into the approach.all the time; the first controller kept issuing these bizarre sequencing instructions with a climb and descent in the same block of airspace. Due to frequency congestion; and workload; concerned about terrain; I was having trouble maintaining the assigned speed restriction; with turbulence being a complicating factor. (I was worried he was getting me just under inbound jet traffic; so was trying to get down as fast as possible; without stressing the airframe; and while maintaining a speed restriction; all while being worried about terrain and traffic below. I suspect the controller was as well.)I finally simply stated that speed deviations were occurring to turbulence and left it at that. I was finally handed off to tower; and asked them if they still wanted the same speed restriction and they removed it.candidly; I think this situation would have been better served by canceling the approach clearance and issuing vectors for re-sequencing. I doubt it was safe for anyone to have an aircraft crisscrossing the approach corridor to a major airport doing figure eights and climbing/descending on top of rocks and across inbound traffic; particularly with trainer traffic for rhv wedged below.in addition; it should be made clear in comms of ATC's desire for speed restrictions during immediate climbs and descents vs. Vacating altitudes and being less concerned about them. There's a trade-off there and given the controller's behavior it wasn't clear what we were optimizing for in this particular situation.for me; I should have resisted the temptation to reduce frequency chatter and demanded a proper missed with vectors. While this story ended well; in IMC; that sequence of events would have been even more challenging. I will speak up much more strongly should this situation ever manifest in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA46 pilot reported receiving multiple heading and speed changes in IMC and turbulence in the vicinity of higher terrain while on an arrival corridor.

Narrative: I was returning from an IPC (Instrument Proficiency Check); and was inbound back into San Jose on final. Without warning; the controller issued vector instructions directly into terrain. The controller then issued another set of instructions on a different vector; cutting across the approach corridor into SJC; with a speed restriction. This continued for several minutes. At one point; the plane made a complete figure eight; before another controller came online (presumably the supervisor) and gave me different vectors and sequenced me back into the approach.All the time; the first controller kept issuing these bizarre sequencing instructions with a climb and descent in the same block of airspace. Due to frequency congestion; and workload; concerned about terrain; I was having trouble maintaining the assigned speed restriction; with turbulence being a complicating factor. (I was worried he was getting me just under inbound jet traffic; so was trying to get down as fast as possible; without stressing the airframe; and while maintaining a speed restriction; all while being worried about terrain and traffic below. I suspect the controller was as well.)I finally simply stated that speed deviations were occurring to turbulence and left it at that. I was finally handed off to tower; and asked them if they still wanted the same speed restriction and they removed it.Candidly; I think this situation would have been better served by canceling the approach clearance and issuing vectors for re-sequencing. I doubt it was safe for anyone to have an aircraft crisscrossing the approach corridor to a major airport doing figure eights and climbing/descending on top of rocks and across inbound traffic; particularly with trainer traffic for RHV wedged below.In addition; it should be made clear in comms of ATC's desire for speed restrictions during immediate climbs and descents vs. vacating altitudes and being less concerned about them. There's a trade-off there and given the controller's behavior it wasn't clear what we were optimizing for in this particular situation.For me; I should have resisted the temptation to reduce frequency chatter and demanded a proper missed with vectors. While this story ended well; in IMC; that sequence of events would have been even more challenging. I will speak up much more strongly should this situation ever manifest in the future.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.