Narrative:

We were en route to the baltimore airport working my center. The controller appeared very much on edge and basically working to his design limit. His workload at this point appeared extreme. He made the comment he was not going to repeat all clrncs twice, this after giving a reasonable time of response to an aircraft. The aircraft responded if he didn't want to repeat twice then be more concise and clear and speak slower. We were nearing the point at which we expected a handoff to bwi approach. The center controller issued a handoff to bwi approach which was stepped on and we did not hear who the clearance was for. I was going to query the controller but another aircraft answered and took the handoff. The center controller responded and we then continued on course on his frequency. 6 mi later he came back with a 90 degree turn for us and descent and said we should have been on bwi approach. A definite communication breakdown. When we contacted bwi approach he said that another aircraft ahead of us also was late on the handoff and he had to turn us for the descent. He was wondering what had caused the situation also. The answer appears to be in the system itself. We have reached a point of saturation and the workload on controllers as well as pilots is at times extreme. I don't feel anyone else could have done any better with the situation than this controller did. Supplemental information from acn 155347. We were cleared direct bhl 11000' at which time captain was getting the ATIS. I attempted to answer but was on the wrong transmitter. I changed transmitter but before I could answer, the controller announced that he was tired of repeating everything twice and that everyone should listen up. An air carrier Y flight stated that he should talk a little slower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG MISSED A FREQ CHANGE FROM ZNY.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE TO THE BALTIMORE ARPT WORKING MY CTR. THE CTLR APPEARED VERY MUCH ON EDGE AND BASICALLY WORKING TO HIS DESIGN LIMIT. HIS WORKLOAD AT THIS POINT APPEARED EXTREME. HE MADE THE COMMENT HE WAS NOT GOING TO REPEAT ALL CLRNCS TWICE, THIS AFTER GIVING A REASONABLE TIME OF RESPONSE TO AN ACFT. THE ACFT RESPONDED IF HE DIDN'T WANT TO REPEAT TWICE THEN BE MORE CONCISE AND CLR AND SPEAK SLOWER. WE WERE NEARING THE POINT AT WHICH WE EXPECTED A HDOF TO BWI APCH. THE CTR CTLR ISSUED A HDOF TO BWI APCH WHICH WAS STEPPED ON AND WE DID NOT HEAR WHO THE CLRNC WAS FOR. I WAS GOING TO QUERY THE CTLR BUT ANOTHER ACFT ANSWERED AND TOOK THE HDOF. THE CTR CTLR RESPONDED AND WE THEN CONTINUED ON COURSE ON HIS FREQ. 6 MI LATER HE CAME BACK WITH A 90 DEG TURN FOR US AND DSNT AND SAID WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON BWI APCH. A DEFINITE COM BREAKDOWN. WHEN WE CONTACTED BWI APCH HE SAID THAT ANOTHER ACFT AHEAD OF US ALSO WAS LATE ON THE HDOF AND HE HAD TO TURN US FOR THE DSNT. HE WAS WONDERING WHAT HAD CAUSED THE SITUATION ALSO. THE ANSWER APPEARS TO BE IN THE SYS ITSELF. WE HAVE REACHED A POINT OF SATURATION AND THE WORKLOAD ON CTLRS AS WELL AS PLTS IS AT TIMES EXTREME. I DON'T FEEL ANYONE ELSE COULD HAVE DONE ANY BETTER WITH THE SITUATION THAN THIS CTLR DID. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 155347. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT BHL 11000' AT WHICH TIME CAPT WAS GETTING THE ATIS. I ATTEMPTED TO ANSWER BUT WAS ON THE WRONG XMITTER. I CHANGED XMITTER BUT BEFORE I COULD ANSWER, THE CTLR ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS TIRED OF REPEATING EVERYTHING TWICE AND THAT EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN UP. AN ACR Y FLT STATED THAT HE SHOULD TALK A LITTLE SLOWER.

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.