Narrative:

This was the third day of the new dallas ft worth terminal airspace. Our clearance, before we departed tyr for dfw, was direct cqy, flipp 1 arrival. As we approached cqy we were put on delay headings for traffic. Finally we were given, 'heading 345 degrees join cve 125 degree radial inbound, cross flipp at 6000 ft.' and following this clearance we were switched to new approach frequency. We intercepted the cve 125 degree inbound and crossed flipp intersection at assigned altitude. Since we were not told to resume the flipp 1 STAR at flipp intersection, but simply to intercept the cve 125 degree inbound, we stayed on this radial past backs intersection. Soon as we passed this intersection we tried to get clarification, but the frequency was saturated with xmissions. About 5 mi past backs intersection still on the cve 125 degree inbound, the approach controller called us saying we had gone past the arrival and he put us on a heading. Obviously, the new airspace setup with new stars and sids was the underlying reason for this confusion. However, proper clearance language was lacking to ask us, unequivocally, to resume the STAR at flipp. Aside from this episode, I think this flipp 1 STAR needs to be revised. It is far too complicated right now with a series of turns and radials! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that the FAA has not contacted him since this incident, however, he has heard a number of similar scenarios over the radio since this incident. He said that the new stars and sids are more complicated and the controllers even seem to have trouble with them. He said that he rarely completes a STAR because the controllers vector him direct to the approach course most of the time. The reporter feels that the traffic volume is too high for the available controllers and equipment to accommodate. He also alleged that a new NOTAM or bulletin has been issued stating that the dfw VORTAC's DME may be unreliable. This is due to the number of users saturating the system and causing some dmes to break lock and lose their readout. The dfw VORTAC is a primary NAVAID for one of the new stars.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC CONTINUED TO TRACK INBOUND ON AN ASSIGNED RADIAL BEYOND THEIR CLRNC LIMIT WHEN FREQ CONGESTION PREVENTED THEM FROM GETTING CLARIFICATION FROM THE APCH CTLR. THE RPTR COMPLAINED THAT THE NEW STARS AND SIDS AT DFW ARE TOO COMPLICATED. SAAB 340B.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE THIRD DAY OF THE NEW DALLAS FT WORTH TERMINAL AIRSPACE. OUR CLRNC, BEFORE WE DEPARTED TYR FOR DFW, WAS DIRECT CQY, FLIPP 1 ARR. AS WE APCHED CQY WE WERE PUT ON DELAY HDGS FOR TFC. FINALLY WE WERE GIVEN, 'HDG 345 DEGS JOIN CVE 125 DEG RADIAL INBOUND, CROSS FLIPP AT 6000 FT.' AND FOLLOWING THIS CLRNC WE WERE SWITCHED TO NEW APCH FREQ. WE INTERCEPTED THE CVE 125 DEG INBOUND AND CROSSED FLIPP INTXN AT ASSIGNED ALT. SINCE WE WERE NOT TOLD TO RESUME THE FLIPP 1 STAR AT FLIPP INTXN, BUT SIMPLY TO INTERCEPT THE CVE 125 DEG INBOUND, WE STAYED ON THIS RADIAL PAST BACKS INTXN. SOON AS WE PASSED THIS INTXN WE TRIED TO GET CLARIFICATION, BUT THE FREQ WAS SATURATED WITH XMISSIONS. ABOUT 5 MI PAST BACKS INTXN STILL ON THE CVE 125 DEG INBOUND, THE APCH CTLR CALLED US SAYING WE HAD GONE PAST THE ARR AND HE PUT US ON A HDG. OBVIOUSLY, THE NEW AIRSPACE SETUP WITH NEW STARS AND SIDS WAS THE UNDERLYING REASON FOR THIS CONFUSION. HOWEVER, PROPER CLRNC LANGUAGE WAS LACKING TO ASK US, UNEQUIVOCALLY, TO RESUME THE STAR AT FLIPP. ASIDE FROM THIS EPISODE, I THINK THIS FLIPP 1 STAR NEEDS TO BE REVISED. IT IS FAR TOO COMPLICATED RIGHT NOW WITH A SERIES OF TURNS AND RADIALS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THE FAA HAS NOT CONTACTED HIM SINCE THIS INCIDENT, HOWEVER, HE HAS HEARD A NUMBER OF SIMILAR SCENARIOS OVER THE RADIO SINCE THIS INCIDENT. HE SAID THAT THE NEW STARS AND SIDS ARE MORE COMPLICATED AND THE CTLRS EVEN SEEM TO HAVE TROUBLE WITH THEM. HE SAID THAT HE RARELY COMPLETES A STAR BECAUSE THE CTLRS VECTOR HIM DIRECT TO THE APCH COURSE MOST OF THE TIME. THE RPTR FEELS THAT THE TFC VOLUME IS TOO HIGH FOR THE AVAILABLE CTLRS AND EQUIP TO ACCOMMODATE. HE ALSO ALLEGED THAT A NEW NOTAM OR BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED STATING THAT THE DFW VORTAC'S DME MAY BE UNRELIABLE. THIS IS DUE TO THE NUMBER OF USERS SATURATING THE SYS AND CAUSING SOME DMES TO BREAK LOCK AND LOSE THEIR READOUT. THE DFW VORTAC IS A PRIMARY NAVAID FOR ONE OF THE NEW STARS.

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.