Narrative:

We were directed by center controller to contact rdu approach control. When I switched to the rdu approach frequency, I heard a male voice giving taxi instructions and then later takeoff instructions to other aircraft. Thinking this was the wrong frequency, I went back to center frequency to confirm what I thought was my mistake. He advised me to go back to the same frequency and that this would be rdu approach control! It took some time to establish contact because the controller was apparently acting as ground control, tower control, departure control, approach control. We were eventually assigned an initial altitude and a vector heading (we were coming from the west, from stl to rdu, and being vectored for an ILS to runway 5R).after establishing on his assigned initial intercept heading, the controller said, 'I'm sorry, I've turned you in too close, turn back right 20 degree.' all this time the frequency was being used continuously by this controller, talking, answering, and giving instructions to many, many other pilots. I also remember the controller making numerous mistakes in his instructions to pilots and I judged this by his retractions of previous instructions with an issuance of a new or corrected instruction. I also recall feeling very ill-at-ease working with him because it was very obvious that he was totally overloaded to the point of maximum saturation! The reported WX was 500' overcast, 4 mi visibility in light drizzle and fog and it was night. The controller then cleared us to the initial approach altitude and a final approach heading for intercepting the 5R ILS course. When we were established on this final heading, he again came back and corrected the heading about 20 degree to the right with a comment that this heading would have placed us too far left of a good intercept. I repeated the new corrected heading and said 'you're a little overworked tonight, huh?' he answered saying 'not at all and I could handle much more!' but his corrected heading caused us to hit the glide path first, with the final course far to the right. Our actual intercept was inside of and to the left of the outer marker! We finally got established at about 700' AGL. The controller apologized for the heading and offered to turn us around for a 'quick' pattern and another vector to final. Since we were established on glide path and centerline at that time and since the previous vectoring had been so poor, I declined.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG PIC ALLEGES APCH CTLR, DURING COMBINED POSITION OPERATION, WAS OVERSTRESSED AND UNABLE TO HANDLE THE TRAFFIC IN AN ACCEPTABLE MANNER.

Narrative: WE WERE DIRECTED BY CENTER CTLR TO CONTACT RDU APCH CTL. WHEN I SWITCHED TO THE RDU APCH FREQ, I HEARD A MALE VOICE GIVING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND THEN LATER TKOF INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT. THINKING THIS WAS THE WRONG FREQ, I WENT BACK TO CENTER FREQ TO CONFIRM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY MISTAKE. HE ADVISED ME TO GO BACK TO THE SAME FREQ AND THAT THIS WOULD BE RDU APCH CTL! IT TOOK SOME TIME TO ESTABLISH CONTACT BECAUSE THE CTLR WAS APPARENTLY ACTING AS GND CTL, TWR CTL, DEP CTL, APCH CTL. WE WERE EVENTUALLY ASSIGNED AN INITIAL ALT AND A VECTOR HDG (WE WERE COMING FROM THE WEST, FROM STL TO RDU, AND BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS TO RWY 5R).AFTER ESTABLISHING ON HIS ASSIGNED INITIAL INTERCEPT HDG, THE CTLR SAID, 'I'M SORRY, I'VE TURNED YOU IN TOO CLOSE, TURN BACK RIGHT 20 DEG.' ALL THIS TIME THE FREQ WAS BEING USED CONTINUOUSLY BY THIS CTLR, TALKING, ANSWERING, AND GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO MANY, MANY OTHER PLTS. I ALSO REMEMBER THE CTLR MAKING NUMEROUS MISTAKES IN HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO PLTS AND I JUDGED THIS BY HIS RETRACTIONS OF PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS WITH AN ISSUANCE OF A NEW OR CORRECTED INSTRUCTION. I ALSO RECALL FEELING VERY ILL-AT-EASE WORKING WITH HIM BECAUSE IT WAS VERY OBVIOUS THAT HE WAS TOTALLY OVERLOADED TO THE POINT OF MAX SATURATION! THE REPORTED WX WAS 500' OVERCAST, 4 MI VISIBILITY IN LIGHT DRIZZLE AND FOG AND IT WAS NIGHT. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US TO THE INITIAL APCH ALT AND A FINAL APCH HDG FOR INTERCEPTING THE 5R ILS COURSE. WHEN WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THIS FINAL HDG, HE AGAIN CAME BACK AND CORRECTED THE HDG ABOUT 20 DEG TO THE RIGHT WITH A COMMENT THAT THIS HDG WOULD HAVE PLACED US TOO FAR LEFT OF A GOOD INTERCEPT. I REPEATED THE NEW CORRECTED HDG AND SAID 'YOU'RE A LITTLE OVERWORKED TONIGHT, HUH?' HE ANSWERED SAYING 'NOT AT ALL AND I COULD HANDLE MUCH MORE!' BUT HIS CORRECTED HDG CAUSED US TO HIT THE GLIDE PATH FIRST, WITH THE FINAL COURSE FAR TO THE RIGHT. OUR ACTUAL INTERCEPT WAS INSIDE OF AND TO THE LEFT OF THE OUTER MARKER! WE FINALLY GOT ESTABLISHED AT ABOUT 700' AGL. THE CTLR APOLOGIZED FOR THE HDG AND OFFERED TO TURN US AROUND FOR A 'QUICK' PATTERN AND ANOTHER VECTOR TO FINAL. SINCE WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON GLIDE PATH AND CENTERLINE AT THAT TIME AND SINCE THE PREVIOUS VECTORING HAD BEEN SO POOR, I DECLINED.

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.