Narrative:

ATC switched us over to approach on 124.2 when he meant to say 124.02 for dca approach. Just as we were coming up on balance VOR (115.1), next fix on flight plan route was course dca and we expected to turn to dca. But, there was a big thunderhead just to the ssw of balance. We switched to 124.2. Approach was talking to aircraft so we waited and we started to curve around thunderhead. Well 124.2 was abc approach, so we quickly went back to old frequency and were given 124.02 and switched back up to dca approach. Well, they were ticked off we hadn't 1) checked in, or 2) turned right to dca as it was on flight plan. Well, how do you tell them that on approach working with ZDC? They habitually: 1) delay giving descent for crossing restriction until too late, 2) forget to hand you off--and when they do they give you a wrong frequency, and 3) after 3 days of trw/WX they are so burned out they snap if you don't instantly turn to a heading when the fact there is no way I'll fly through a thunderhead--even if communications are a confusion zone set up by poor ATC handoff procedures. Well, we said we were turning, but a crowded approach frequency is not place to be squabbling about heading, handoff frequencys, WX buildup, etc, so we didn't say anything back to approach--just listened to approach vent his spleen and continued our lda 18 approach to dca.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT REPORTS UNSATISFACTORY HANDLING BY ZDC, LACK OF HANDOFFS IN TIMELY FASHION WITH PROPER FREQ, LATE DESCENT CLRNCS AND SHORT TEMPERS AFTER 3 DAYS OF BAD WX. ALSO CITED CTLR'S LACK OF FLEXIBILITY FOR DEVIATION AROUND TSTM ACTIVITY. THIS PARTICULAR EVENT CENTERED AROUND A WRONG FREQ AND THE RESULTANT APCH CTLR BEHAVIOR AGGRESSION WHEN THEY FINALLY GOT ON FREQ.

Narrative: ATC SWITCHED US OVER TO APCH ON 124.2 WHEN HE MEANT TO SAY 124.02 FOR DCA APCH. JUST AS WE WERE COMING UP ON BAL VOR (115.1), NEXT FIX ON FLT PLAN RTE WAS COURSE DCA AND WE EXPECTED TO TURN TO DCA. BUT, THERE WAS A BIG THUNDERHEAD JUST TO THE SSW OF BAL. WE SWITCHED TO 124.2. APCH WAS TALKING TO ACFT SO WE WAITED AND WE STARTED TO CURVE AROUND THUNDERHEAD. WELL 124.2 WAS ABC APCH, SO WE QUICKLY WENT BACK TO OLD FREQ AND WERE GIVEN 124.02 AND SWITCHED BACK UP TO DCA APCH. WELL, THEY WERE TICKED OFF WE HADN'T 1) CHKED IN, OR 2) TURNED RIGHT TO DCA AS IT WAS ON FLT PLAN. WELL, HOW DO YOU TELL THEM THAT ON APCH WORKING WITH ZDC? THEY HABITUALLY: 1) DELAY GIVING DSNT FOR XING RESTRICTION UNTIL TOO LATE, 2) FORGET TO HAND YOU OFF--AND WHEN THEY DO THEY GIVE YOU A WRONG FREQ, AND 3) AFTER 3 DAYS OF TRW/WX THEY ARE SO BURNED OUT THEY SNAP IF YOU DON'T INSTANTLY TURN TO A HDG WHEN THE FACT THERE IS NO WAY I'LL FLY THROUGH A THUNDERHEAD--EVEN IF COMS ARE A CONFUSION ZONE SET UP BY POOR ATC HDOF PROCS. WELL, WE SAID WE WERE TURNING, BUT A CROWDED APCH FREQ IS NOT PLACE TO BE SQUABBLING ABOUT HDG, HDOF FREQS, WX BUILDUP, ETC, SO WE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING BACK TO APCH--JUST LISTENED TO APCH VENT HIS SPLEEN AND CONTINUED OUR LDA 18 APCH TO DCA.

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.