Narrative:

To clarify, I really had no special event to report on this date. However, the kind of day I had prompts me to write this report. I don't know which was more stressful, dealing with center or dealing with the thunderstorms! I believe that slc needs to add a high altitude sector in the montana area. On bad WX days, the sectors covered by salt lake center frequencies, 132.4 and 133.4, are an accident waiting to happen. I've been flying out there for over 14 yrs with a regional carrier. The radio congestion has got to a point to where it is out of hand. It frequently takes two or three calls to get the controllers attention. And then, they are peeved because they frequently have pilots talking on top at each other. The pilots talk on top of each other because they don't hear each other due to distances and talking to center on different antenna locations. And lord help you if you go missed, need an approach clearance, deviation, or lower altitude while other aircraft are on the radio complaining about occasional moderate chop at 37000! The approach going into mso requires 4 major hand offs between sectors approaching from the west within 50 miles. Mso is not lax! It goes seattle center, slc, spokane approach, and the missoula tower, and there is barely any communication/coordination between them. The same situation applies at kalispell to a lesser extent. My solution would be to make a high altitude sector in montana so the low sectors can take care of and watch the flights that are close to the rocks. Either expand salt lake boundaries to the west of fca and mso, or expand seattle's to cover fca and mso. The coordination between the two facilities is not getting done in a timely manner during descent and approach. I know budgets are tight and everyone is out of money, but there is a safety problem in montana that needs to be fixed before it costs lives.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW IS FRUSTRATED WITH ATC SVC IN ZLC'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: TO CLARIFY, I REALLY HAD NO SPECIAL EVENT TO REPORT ON THIS DATE. HOWEVER, THE KIND OF DAY I HAD PROMPTS ME TO WRITE THIS RPT. I DON'T KNOW WHICH WAS MORE STRESSFUL, DEALING WITH CENTER OR DEALING WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS! I BELIEVE THAT SLC NEEDS TO ADD A HIGH ALT SECTOR IN THE MONTANA AREA. ON BAD WX DAYS, THE SECTORS COVERED BY SALT LAKE CENTER FREQUENCIES, 132.4 AND 133.4, ARE AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I'VE BEEN FLYING OUT THERE FOR OVER 14 YRS WITH A REGIONAL CARRIER. THE RADIO CONGESTION HAS GOT TO A POINT TO WHERE IT IS OUT OF HAND. IT FREQUENTLY TAKES TWO OR THREE CALLS TO GET THE CTLRS ATTENTION. AND THEN, THEY ARE PEEVED BECAUSE THEY FREQUENTLY HAVE PLTS TALKING ON TOP AT EACH OTHER. THE PLTS TALK ON TOP OF EACH OTHER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HEAR EACH OTHER DUE TO DISTANCES AND TALKING TO CENTER ON DIFFERENT ANTENNA LOCATIONS. AND LORD HELP YOU IF YOU GO MISSED, NEED AN APCH CLRNC, DEVIATION, OR LOWER ALT WHILE OTHER ACFT ARE ON THE RADIO COMPLAINING ABOUT OCCASIONAL MODERATE CHOP AT 37000! THE APCH GOING INTO MSO REQUIRES 4 MAJOR HAND OFFS BTWN SECTORS APCHING FROM THE W WITHIN 50 MILES. MSO IS NOT LAX! IT GOES SEATTLE CENTER, SLC, SPOKANE APCH, AND THE MISSOULA TWR, AND THERE IS BARELY ANY COM/COORDINATION BTWN THEM. THE SAME SIT APPLIES AT KALISPELL TO A LESSER EXTENT. MY SOLUTION WOULD BE TO MAKE A HIGH ALT SECTOR IN MONTANA SO THE LOW SECTORS CAN TAKE CARE OF AND WATCH THE FLIGHTS THAT ARE CLOSE TO THE ROCKS. EITHER EXPAND SALT LAKE BOUNDARIES TO THE W OF FCA AND MSO, OR EXPAND SEATTLE'S TO COVER FCA AND MSO. THE COORDINATION BTWN THE TWO FACILITIES IS NOT GETTING DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER DURING DSCNT AND APCH. I KNOW BUDGETS ARE TIGHT AND EVERYONE IS OUT OF MONEY, BUT THERE IS A SAFETY PROB IN MONTANA THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE IT COSTS LIVES.

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.