Narrative:

There seemed to be some difficulty in assigning vectors and fixes between ZLA and coast approach during the handoff and pilot communications in the palm springs area. Controller #1 gave me a vector but controller #2 seemed surprised that I wasn't going direct, but later revectored me direct to the fix (psp). Then coast controller #3 gave me another vector from the next fix (bands), but later re-canted that. I was directed to go direct homeland, with a 240 degree vector thereafter. The whole event seemed disorganized. Usually, it's a pretty routine event with a published arrival into sna. This day, however, heavy santa ana winds reversed the normal landing approachs and may have thrown off coordination procedures. Not to necessarily place this problem in the controller's laps, perhaps I could have miscommunicated with center. The sna ATIS is very difficult to receive in this area due to mountainous terrain. I was receiving broken ATIS xmissions regarding reversed landing runways and windshear from a commercial jet (15 KT speed change at 150 ft). I could have missed or messed up a center transmission during this time. One suggestion would be to re-locate the ATIS transmission tower, or increase signal strength in the high and low descent areas north and east of sna. It's a problem in arriving from the east. Trying to monitor ATIS while inside the los angeles basin is not a good idea. Also, the sna ATIS is extraordinarily long. It gives out lots of information not necessarily to arrival flts. How about 2 frequencys -- 1 for departure, 1 for arrival? Also, much of the information is already published and available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CE525 CAPT ATTRIBUTED CONFUSING ATC INSTRUCTIONS TO HIGH SANTA ANA WINDS, CAUSING REVERSE LNDG APCHS. THE RPTR ALSO ADMITS BEING DISTR BY A LONG AND BROKEN SNA ATIS XMISSION.

Narrative: THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME DIFFICULTY IN ASSIGNING VECTORS AND FIXES BTWN ZLA AND COAST APCH DURING THE HDOF AND PLT COMS IN THE PALM SPRINGS AREA. CTLR #1 GAVE ME A VECTOR BUT CTLR #2 SEEMED SURPRISED THAT I WASN'T GOING DIRECT, BUT LATER REVECTORED ME DIRECT TO THE FIX (PSP). THEN COAST CTLR #3 GAVE ME ANOTHER VECTOR FROM THE NEXT FIX (BANDS), BUT LATER RE-CANTED THAT. I WAS DIRECTED TO GO DIRECT HOMELAND, WITH A 240 DEG VECTOR THEREAFTER. THE WHOLE EVENT SEEMED DISORGANIZED. USUALLY, IT'S A PRETTY ROUTINE EVENT WITH A PUBLISHED ARR INTO SNA. THIS DAY, HOWEVER, HVY SANTA ANA WINDS REVERSED THE NORMAL LNDG APCHS AND MAY HAVE THROWN OFF COORD PROCS. NOT TO NECESSARILY PLACE THIS PROB IN THE CTLR'S LAPS, PERHAPS I COULD HAVE MISCOMMUNICATED WITH CTR. THE SNA ATIS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO RECEIVE IN THIS AREA DUE TO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. I WAS RECEIVING BROKEN ATIS XMISSIONS REGARDING REVERSED LNDG RWYS AND WINDSHEAR FROM A COMMERCIAL JET (15 KT SPD CHANGE AT 150 FT). I COULD HAVE MISSED OR MESSED UP A CTR XMISSION DURING THIS TIME. ONE SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO RE-LOCATE THE ATIS XMISSION TWR, OR INCREASE SIGNAL STRENGTH IN THE HIGH AND LOW DSCNT AREAS N AND E OF SNA. IT'S A PROB IN ARRIVING FROM THE E. TRYING TO MONITOR ATIS WHILE INSIDE THE LOS ANGELES BASIN IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. ALSO, THE SNA ATIS IS EXTRAORDINARILY LONG. IT GIVES OUT LOTS OF INFO NOT NECESSARILY TO ARR FLTS. HOW ABOUT 2 FREQS -- 1 FOR DEP, 1 FOR ARR? ALSO, MUCH OF THE INFO IS ALREADY PUBLISHED AND AVAILABLE.

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.