Flight crew of medium large transport unable contact ZID controller account crowded frequency.

Attributes
ACN	115112
Time
Date	198906
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 2ch
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : jfk
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	115112
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We were handed off to ind center frequency 124.45. Center was quite busy working a cvg 'rush' and didn't return any of our several attempts to contact him. We heard no other aircraft on our frequency or on frequency 125.8 which we were subsequently given. After 4-5 min we went back to cmh departure and told him we were unable to get ZID to talk to us. He told us to try again on 124.45 or 125.8. After 2-3 additional calls the controller finally answered. The controller appeared to be competent but was simply too busy working at least 3 frequencys he didn't have time to work us for 5-7 mins. This is clearly unacceptable in a positive control situation, on our inbound to cmh on 124.45 the controller told us to stand by when we tried to check in and never came back to us until we had to ask him to hand us off to cmh approach. Is our ATC system so understaffed that one controller has to work 3 sectors including the cvg 'gate' sector rush on monday morning? The level of attention to our flight was clearly unsatisfactory.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG UNABLE CONTACT ZID CTLR ACCOUNT CROWDED FREQ.

Narrative: WE WERE HANDED OFF TO IND CENTER FREQ 124.45. CENTER WAS QUITE BUSY WORKING A CVG 'RUSH' AND DIDN'T RETURN ANY OF OUR SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT HIM. WE HEARD NO OTHER ACFT ON OUR FREQ OR ON FREQ 125.8 WHICH WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY GIVEN. AFTER 4-5 MIN WE WENT BACK TO CMH DEP AND TOLD HIM WE WERE UNABLE TO GET ZID TO TALK TO US. HE TOLD US TO TRY AGAIN ON 124.45 OR 125.8. AFTER 2-3 ADDITIONAL CALLS THE CTLR FINALLY ANSWERED. THE CTLR APPEARED TO BE COMPETENT BUT WAS SIMPLY TOO BUSY WORKING AT LEAST 3 FREQS HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO WORK US FOR 5-7 MINS. THIS IS CLEARLY UNACCEPTABLE IN A POSITIVE CTL SITUATION, ON OUR INBND TO CMH ON 124.45 THE CTLR TOLD US TO STAND BY WHEN WE TRIED TO CHECK IN AND NEVER CAME BACK TO US UNTIL WE HAD TO ASK HIM TO HAND US OFF TO CMH APCH. IS OUR ATC SYSTEM SO UNDERSTAFFED THAT ONE CTLR HAS TO WORK 3 SECTORS INCLUDING THE CVG 'GATE' SECTOR RUSH ON MONDAY MORNING? THE LEVEL OF ATTN TO OUR FLT WAS CLEARLY UNSATISFACTORY.

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.