Narrative:

The problem we encountered with montreal center and approach centers around extremely poor ATC radio procedures on the part of the canadian controllers. The situation was aggravated by another aircraft using our 'easy' call sign illegally. Additionally crew fatigue made our problem of coping with confusing and conflicting clrncs difficult. In retrospect, the situation might have been extremely dangerous were it not for the fact that we were in relatively uncongested airspace and for the fact that the airport apparently had no other landing traffic. Specifically, we were on the massino two arrival into ymx, we were handed off from boston center to montreal center and were shortly thereafter cleared to turn left, descend from FL270 to 17,000, maintain 250, and given an altimeter setting of 29.87. We heard another 'easy' call sign on our frequency and wondered to ourselves whether it was one of our feeder aircraft or perhaps an aircraft using our call sign illegally. (The latter proved to be true, it was 'charlie easy' and we believe the flight number was 123). The next radio transmission we heard was an inquiry. We were told that we had been directed to turn right 4 times, and the controller wondered if we were going to comply? I replied that this was the first time that we had received the transmission. Another voice then came on the radio and said for us to turn right to a specific heading. We complied, but I wondered if this was the controller or the 'easy' pilot relaying the clearance. I asked on the radio what was going on and I was told that controller training was in progress. I then inquired if the 'easy' flight was using a proper call sign? I was then abruptly told to switch frequencys. I did so and was handed off to approach. He gave us another quick turn and further descent. I asked if we were still speed restr to 250K? (We were at approximately 15,000' and still descending.) I was told very sarcastically that '...that's what its all about, 250K below 10,000'!' I explained that we were previously speed restr and the controller said 'oh, restriction lifted.' the heading that he had given us was far to the left of the localizer, but he then cleared us for the localizer intercept. We turned back significantly right to intercept the localizer and completed the approach and landing. The conclusions we draw are extremely poor controller procedures, bad controller handoffs, bad radio discipline and fatigue all make for dangerous flying.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HAD PROBLEM WITH TRACON CLRNC. CALL SIGN, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF CLRNCS AND TECHNIQUE SUBSTANDARD.

Narrative: THE PROBLEM WE ENCOUNTERED WITH MONTREAL CENTER AND APCH CENTERS AROUND EXTREMELY POOR ATC RADIO PROCS ON THE PART OF THE CANADIAN CTLRS. THE SITUATION WAS AGGRAVATED BY ANOTHER ACFT USING OUR 'EASY' CALL SIGN ILLEGALLY. ADDITIONALLY CREW FATIGUE MADE OUR PROBLEM OF COPING WITH CONFUSING AND CONFLICTING CLRNCS DIFFICULT. IN RETROSPECT, THE SITUATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WERE IT NOT FOR THE FACT THAT WE WERE IN RELATIVELY UNCONGESTED AIRSPACE AND FOR THE FACT THAT THE ARPT APPARENTLY HAD NO OTHER LNDG TFC. SPECIFICALLY, WE WERE ON THE MASSINO TWO ARR INTO YMX, WE WERE HANDED OFF FROM BOSTON CENTER TO MONTREAL CENTER AND WERE SHORTLY THEREAFTER CLRED TO TURN LEFT, DSND FROM FL270 TO 17,000, MAINTAIN 250, AND GIVEN AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.87. WE HEARD ANOTHER 'EASY' CALL SIGN ON OUR FREQ AND WONDERED TO OURSELVES WHETHER IT WAS ONE OF OUR FEEDER ACFT OR PERHAPS AN ACFT USING OUR CALL SIGN ILLEGALLY. (THE LATTER PROVED TO BE TRUE, IT WAS 'CHARLIE EASY' AND WE BELIEVE THE FLT NUMBER WAS 123). THE NEXT RADIO XMISSION WE HEARD WAS AN INQUIRY. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD BEEN DIRECTED TO TURN RIGHT 4 TIMES, AND THE CTLR WONDERED IF WE WERE GOING TO COMPLY? I REPLIED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAD RECEIVED THE XMISSION. ANOTHER VOICE THEN CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID FOR US TO TURN RIGHT TO A SPECIFIC HDG. WE COMPLIED, BUT I WONDERED IF THIS WAS THE CTLR OR THE 'EASY' PLT RELAYING THE CLRNC. I ASKED ON THE RADIO WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I WAS TOLD THAT CTLR TRAINING WAS IN PROGRESS. I THEN INQUIRED IF THE 'EASY' FLT WAS USING A PROPER CALL SIGN? I WAS THEN ABRUPTLY TOLD TO SWITCH FREQS. I DID SO AND WAS HANDED OFF TO APCH. HE GAVE US ANOTHER QUICK TURN AND FURTHER DSCNT. I ASKED IF WE WERE STILL SPEED RESTR TO 250K? (WE WERE AT APPROX 15,000' AND STILL DSNDING.) I WAS TOLD VERY SARCASTICALLY THAT '...THAT'S WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT, 250K BELOW 10,000'!' I EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE PREVIOUSLY SPEED RESTR AND THE CTLR SAID 'OH, RESTRICTION LIFTED.' THE HDG THAT HE HAD GIVEN US WAS FAR TO THE LEFT OF THE LOC, BUT HE THEN CLRED US FOR THE LOC INTERCEPT. WE TURNED BACK SIGNIFICANTLY RIGHT TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND COMPLETED THE APCH AND LNDG. THE CONCLUSIONS WE DRAW ARE EXTREMELY POOR CTLR PROCS, BAD CTLR HANDOFFS, BAD RADIO DISCIPLINE AND FATIGUE ALL MAKE FOR DANGEROUS FLYING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.