Narrative:

While on the gonne 2 arrival about over windsor VOR (yqg) we were handed off to a ZOB controller that was overloaded with his workload. Initially he attempted to give us a descent and a supervisor near his desk yelled no! No! No! We heard this on the radio. He then told us to maintain FL240. He then gave us a descent with various vectors. One vector given was 'fly heading 106 degrees.' we asked if he meant 160 degrees, and he responded '105.' we were then given a clearance to proceed direct gonne cross gonne at 10000 ft and 250 KTS. After this we were given a descent to 9000 ft. During this time he was giving us many heading changes and was clearly overloaded. My concern is this could have developed into a situation where a traffic conflict may have easily happened, as it has happened with our company aircraft and pilots before to no fault of their own. I have noticed the distress of ZOB controllers working the gonne 2 arrival in the past. My suggestion would be to rework the arrival so it reduces the workload on the controllers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ATC HANDLING WITH ZOB.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE GONNE 2 ARR ABOUT OVER WINDSOR VOR (YQG) WE WERE HANDED OFF TO A ZOB CTLR THAT WAS OVERLOADED WITH HIS WORKLOAD. INITIALLY HE ATTEMPTED TO GIVE US A DSCNT AND A SUPVR NEAR HIS DESK YELLED NO! NO! NO! WE HEARD THIS ON THE RADIO. HE THEN TOLD US TO MAINTAIN FL240. HE THEN GAVE US A DSCNT WITH VARIOUS VECTORS. ONE VECTOR GIVEN WAS 'FLY HDG 106 DEGS.' WE ASKED IF HE MEANT 160 DEGS, AND HE RESPONDED '105.' WE WERE THEN GIVEN A CLRNC TO PROCEED DIRECT GONNE CROSS GONNE AT 10000 FT AND 250 KTS. AFTER THIS WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 9000 FT. DURING THIS TIME HE WAS GIVING US MANY HDG CHANGES AND WAS CLRLY OVERLOADED. MY CONCERN IS THIS COULD HAVE DEVELOPED INTO A SIT WHERE A TFC CONFLICT MAY HAVE EASILY HAPPENED, AS IT HAS HAPPENED WITH OUR COMPANY ACFT AND PLTS BEFORE TO NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN. I HAVE NOTICED THE DISTRESS OF ZOB CTLRS WORKING THE GONNE 2 ARR IN THE PAST. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO REWORK THE ARR SO IT REDUCES THE WORKLOAD ON THE CTLRS.

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.