Narrative:

Approaching den, just before reaching ioc (kiowa) den center instructed 'delete the profile descent, cleared to cross kiowa at 17000' and 250 KTS'. Less than 60 seconds later we were turned over to den approach control and the controller said 'cleared the profile.' we queried and confirmed it was their intent that we should continue descent to 11000' along the den 078 degree right. The controller was very very busy and a query about whether she was working more than one frequency elicited a curt 'yes'. Numerous rain showers of 'avoid me' intensity were near the airport. Xmissions on one frequency were repeatedly being blocked by xmissions on another frequency (which prompted the question) making the safety of the operation highly questionable. We were given a turn to 350 degrees as we continued descent to 11000'. We remained quiet and listened as another air carrier aircraft queried the controller about their intentions and received the controller's query about 'what's your location'. I too became suspicious as we continued north (toward WX we wished to avoid) and heard aircraft that I thought had been behind us cleared to turn base leg and/or contact the final controller. I queried with 'what's traffic for our flight?' and after a pause received a 'what's your location?' we reported 'about 22 mi north of den VOR' and we were immediately turned over to the final controller, who was also extremely busy, but who did a masterful job of getting us down and around on base to final for a runway 17L ILS DME 1 approach, in IMC. We landed at xx:53Z (xx:53 mdt). I spoke with the TRACON watch supervisor who said he'd observed the whole thing and was apologetic. He assured me that no loss of sep, but the problem is that there is no way for me to know that at the time. I find that unacceptable. Mountain airports are no place for controllers to 'lose' their traffic. Solutions. Always pay close attention to radio xmissions to yourself and others. Review controller qualifications and staffing during peak periods at large airports. Reserve training for VMC conditions at mountainous airports. Review supervisor qualifications. Something is wrong when they can 'observe the whole thing' yet not intervene with corrective action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER PLT BELIEVES CTLR LOST RADAR CONTACT WITH HIS ACFT WHILE BEING VECTORED TO AN ILS FINAL APCH COURSE.

Narrative: APCHING DEN, JUST BEFORE REACHING IOC (KIOWA) DEN CTR INSTRUCTED 'DELETE THE PROFILE DSNT, CLRED TO CROSS KIOWA AT 17000' AND 250 KTS'. LESS THAN 60 SECS LATER WE WERE TURNED OVER TO DEN APCH CTL AND THE CTLR SAID 'CLRED THE PROFILE.' WE QUERIED AND CONFIRMED IT WAS THEIR INTENT THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE DSNT TO 11000' ALONG THE DEN 078 DEG R. THE CTLR WAS VERY VERY BUSY AND A QUERY ABOUT WHETHER SHE WAS WORKING MORE THAN ONE FREQ ELICITED A CURT 'YES'. NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS OF 'AVOID ME' INTENSITY WERE NEAR THE ARPT. XMISSIONS ON ONE FREQ WERE REPEATEDLY BEING BLOCKED BY XMISSIONS ON ANOTHER FREQ (WHICH PROMPTED THE QUESTION) MAKING THE SAFETY OF THE OPERATION HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE. WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO 350 DEGS AS WE CONTINUED DSNT TO 11000'. WE REMAINED QUIET AND LISTENED AS ANOTHER AIR CARRIER ACFT QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT THEIR INTENTIONS AND RECEIVED THE CTLR'S QUERY ABOUT 'WHAT'S YOUR LOCATION'. I TOO BECAME SUSPICIOUS AS WE CONTINUED N (TOWARD WX WE WISHED TO AVOID) AND HEARD ACFT THAT I THOUGHT HAD BEEN BEHIND US CLRED TO TURN BASE LEG AND/OR CONTACT THE FINAL CTLR. I QUERIED WITH 'WHAT'S TFC FOR OUR FLT?' AND AFTER A PAUSE RECEIVED A 'WHAT'S YOUR LOCATION?' WE RPTED 'ABOUT 22 MI N OF DEN VOR' AND WE WERE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OVER TO THE FINAL CTLR, WHO WAS ALSO EXTREMELY BUSY, BUT WHO DID A MASTERFUL JOB OF GETTING US DOWN AND AROUND ON BASE TO FINAL FOR A RWY 17L ILS DME 1 APCH, IN IMC. WE LANDED AT XX:53Z (XX:53 MDT). I SPOKE WITH THE TRACON WATCH SUPVR WHO SAID HE'D OBSERVED THE WHOLE THING AND WAS APOLOGETIC. HE ASSURED ME THAT NO LOSS OF SEP, BUT THE PROB IS THAT THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO KNOW THAT AT THE TIME. I FIND THAT UNACCEPTABLE. MOUNTAIN ARPTS ARE NO PLACE FOR CTLRS TO 'LOSE' THEIR TFC. SOLUTIONS. ALWAYS PAY CLOSE ATTN TO RADIO XMISSIONS TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS. REVIEW CTLR QUALIFICATIONS AND STAFFING DURING PEAK PERIODS AT LARGE ARPTS. RESERVE TRNING FOR VMC CONDITIONS AT MOUNTAINOUS ARPTS. REVIEW SUPVR QUALIFICATIONS. SOMETHING IS WRONG WHEN THEY CAN 'OBSERVE THE WHOLE THING' YET NOT INTERVENE WITH CORRECTIVE ACTION.

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.