ATC handling caused pilot confusion, compounded by frequency congestion.

Attributes
ACN	119314
Time
Date	198908
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sea airport : s50
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sea
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3000
ASRS Report	119314
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

IFR from bfi to S50 in VMC. Dusk, sunlight in eyes. TCA very busy with traffic, controller overloaded, me in unfamiliar area. Handed off, controller overloaded, keying his microphone late and cutting off first of transmission, making it hard to tell which plane he was talking to. He wouldn't wait for acknowledgement, and would start next instructions to next flight. Controller getting annoyed. Several VFR flts trying to get into TCA, waiting properly. I acknowledged but he didn't respond. I felt he hadn't heard my acknowledgement. Waited through several xmissions by controller and then acknowledged. He was still not waiting for others to acknowledge, and several flts were now trying to acknowledge him and stepping on each other. Then he told everybody to be quiet while he sorted things out and let him talk. Then he forgot me. I called him again but got stepped on. He flew me 5 mi past airport, but I never saw it. I was approaching some low hills higher than me. Suddenly he remembered me, and was concerned because I was getting in an area of higher MVA. Chewed me out for not acknowledging him. I thought I saw the airport and cancelled IFR (out of TCA). Wrong airport. Had to back-track 5 mi, poor visibility, sunlight in face, to busy airport. Stumbled into pattern with much traffic and landed. Bad situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC HANDLING CAUSED PLT CONFUSION, COMPOUNDED BY FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: IFR FROM BFI TO S50 IN VMC. DUSK, SUNLIGHT IN EYES. TCA VERY BUSY WITH TFC, CTLR OVERLOADED, ME IN UNFAMILIAR AREA. HANDED OFF, CTLR OVERLOADED, KEYING HIS MIC LATE AND CUTTING OFF FIRST OF XMISSION, MAKING IT HARD TO TELL WHICH PLANE HE WAS TALKING TO. HE WOULDN'T WAIT FOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, AND WOULD START NEXT INSTRUCTIONS TO NEXT FLT. CTLR GETTING ANNOYED. SEVERAL VFR FLTS TRYING TO GET INTO TCA, WAITING PROPERLY. I ACKNOWLEDGED BUT HE DIDN'T RESPOND. I FELT HE HADN'T HEARD MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. WAITED THROUGH SEVERAL XMISSIONS BY CTLR AND THEN ACKNOWLEDGED. HE WAS STILL NOT WAITING FOR OTHERS TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AND SEVERAL FLTS WERE NOW TRYING TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND STEPPING ON EACH OTHER. THEN HE TOLD EVERYBODY TO BE QUIET WHILE HE SORTED THINGS OUT AND LET HIM TALK. THEN HE FORGOT ME. I CALLED HIM AGAIN BUT GOT STEPPED ON. HE FLEW ME 5 MI PAST ARPT, BUT I NEVER SAW IT. I WAS APCHING SOME LOW HILLS HIGHER THAN ME. SUDDENLY HE REMEMBERED ME, AND WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE I WAS GETTING IN AN AREA OF HIGHER MVA. CHEWED ME OUT FOR NOT ACKNOWLEDGING HIM. I THOUGHT I SAW THE ARPT AND CANCELLED IFR (OUT OF TCA). WRONG ARPT. HAD TO BACK-TRACK 5 MI, POOR VISIBILITY, SUNLIGHT IN FACE, TO BUSY ARPT. STUMBLED INTO PATTERN WITH MUCH TFC AND LANDED. BAD SITUATION.

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.