BE9L flight crew have difficulty establishing communication with hou tower.

Attributes
ACN	540879
Time
Date	200203
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	King Air C90 E90
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : hou.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Gates Learjet Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	540879
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : hou.tower

Narrative:

On mar/wed/02 between XA30-XB30 at hou, I called on clearance delivery 3 times over a 3 min period and got a vague response (controller did not say who he was talking to) once out of 3 times. We went to combined tower/ground and called several times with no response. We went to combined tower/ground and called several times with no response. An air carrier and a cargo aircraft were on frequency and communicated with tower with no problem. By this time, 5 mins had elapsed and a lear on the north ramp also could not get the tower. The lear and I then communicated with each other for about 1 min on tower frequency trying to figure what the problem was and why neither of us could communicate with tower/ground/clearance. Eventually, the tower did talk to us and he told me he responded to me 3 times, although I called him at least 8. This is an extremely dangerous situation where, it appears, a controller deserted the cabin attendant at one of the busiest airports in the nation. It further seems this controller was taking punitive action against either GA aircraft or me in particular. This is beyond the controller duties and certainly shows unprofessionalism.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE9L FLC HAVE DIFFICULTY ESTABLISHING COM WITH HOU TWR.

Narrative: ON MAR/WED/02 BTWN XA30-XB30 AT HOU, I CALLED ON CLRNC DELIVERY 3 TIMES OVER A 3 MIN PERIOD AND GOT A VAGUE RESPONSE (CTLR DID NOT SAY WHO HE WAS TALKING TO) ONCE OUT OF 3 TIMES. WE WENT TO COMBINED TWR/GND AND CALLED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. WE WENT TO COMBINED TWR/GND AND CALLED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. AN ACR AND A CARGO ACFT WERE ON FREQ AND COMMUNICATED WITH TWR WITH NO PROB. BY THIS TIME, 5 MINS HAD ELAPSED AND A LEAR ON THE N RAMP ALSO COULD NOT GET THE TWR. THE LEAR AND I THEN COMMUNICATED WITH EACH OTHER FOR ABOUT 1 MIN ON TWR FREQ TRYING TO FIGURE WHAT THE PROB WAS AND WHY NEITHER OF US COULD COMMUNICATE WITH TWR/GND/CLRNC. EVENTUALLY, THE TWR DID TALK TO US AND HE TOLD ME HE RESPONDED TO ME 3 TIMES, ALTHOUGH I CALLED HIM AT LEAST 8. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SIT WHERE, IT APPEARS, A CTLR DESERTED THE CAB AT ONE OF THE BUSIEST ARPTS IN THE NATION. IT FURTHER SEEMS THIS CTLR WAS TAKING PUNITIVE ACTION AGAINST EITHER GA ACFT OR ME IN PARTICULAR. THIS IS BEYOND THE CTLR DUTIES AND CERTAINLY SHOWS UNPROFESSIONALISM.

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.