Reporter complains of inadequate enroute handling by ATC centeres. Center ARTCC radar controllers ac...

Attributes
ACN	157665
Time
Date	199009
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ztl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 20400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	157665
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Departed ryy on a filed high altitude IFR flight. ATC contact was with atl departure 121.0, 125.7, then ZTL. We were asked twice by different controllers what our destination and route filed were. We questioned why they did not know that information, as it was in the filed flight plan. We were cleared to climb to FL230 and climbing through 20400' at 2000 FPM we were told to stop climb at FL200. We cut power and arrested the rate of climb and advised them that we were already past FL200. ATC then said, 'descend back to FL200, 'they' have sent you to the wrong 'gate,' we had to make some corrections.' ATC seemed to have poor or no information about our flight plan--then seemed to be confused as to what they were doing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter had filed flight plan by tel with atl FSS and picked up the ATC route clearance from atl on 121.0 when airborne. After another frequency changes things were apparently ok until the next frequency change. Then the question, as stated int he text, began. Reporter claims that he or other cpr pilots have had at least 20 occurrences of this nature in the past 2 yrs, with 10 in the last few months, primarily in the mia/jax area of control. Reporter made it clear that in his opinion, ZJX has a lot of problems and are non-standard in their operations. In the ZTL area he often gets changed to a frequency only to be passed back to the previous frequency with the remark that the frequency change was either in error or the frequency was wrong. Quite often 1 call will be made on a new frequency and then the aircraft is changed to another frequency for handling. Reporter wonders if there is a 'count' system being played upon. Reporter has talked with the chief in the ZTL area and he blames the problem on the FSS stations which the reporter finds hard to believe as he has even had the FSS operators read verbatim his filed clrncs. To recap, reporter feels that the ZTL, ZMA and ZJX should be reviewed as to flight plan and en route handling procedures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER COMPLAINS OF INADEQUATE ENROUTE HANDLING BY ATC CENTERES. CENTER ARTCC RADAR CTLRS ACTED AS THOUGH THE FLT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN FILED, ASKING REPEATEDLY WHAT THE ROUTE AND DESTINATION WERE FOR THE CPR ACFT.

Narrative: DEPARTED RYY ON A FILED HIGH ALT IFR FLT. ATC CONTACT WAS WITH ATL DEP 121.0, 125.7, THEN ZTL. WE WERE ASKED TWICE BY DIFFERENT CTLRS WHAT OUR DEST AND RTE FILED WERE. WE QUESTIONED WHY THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT INFO, AS IT WAS IN THE FILED FLT PLAN. WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO FL230 AND CLBING THROUGH 20400' AT 2000 FPM WE WERE TOLD TO STOP CLB AT FL200. WE CUT PWR AND ARRESTED THE RATE OF CLB AND ADVISED THEM THAT WE WERE ALREADY PAST FL200. ATC THEN SAID, 'DSND BACK TO FL200, 'THEY' HAVE SENT YOU TO THE WRONG 'GATE,' WE HAD TO MAKE SOME CORRECTIONS.' ATC SEEMED TO HAVE POOR OR NO INFO ABOUT OUR FLT PLAN--THEN SEEMED TO BE CONFUSED AS TO WHAT THEY WERE DOING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAD FILED FLT PLAN BY TEL WITH ATL FSS AND PICKED UP THE ATC RTE CLRNC FROM ATL ON 121.0 WHEN AIRBORNE. AFTER ANOTHER FREQ CHANGES THINGS WERE APPARENTLY OK UNTIL THE NEXT FREQ CHANGE. THEN THE QUESTION, AS STATED INT HE TEXT, BEGAN. RPTR CLAIMS THAT HE OR OTHER CPR PLTS HAVE HAD AT LEAST 20 OCCURRENCES OF THIS NATURE IN THE PAST 2 YRS, WITH 10 IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, PRIMARILY IN THE MIA/JAX AREA OF CTL. RPTR MADE IT CLR THAT IN HIS OPINION, ZJX HAS A LOT OF PROBS AND ARE NON-STANDARD IN THEIR OPS. IN THE ZTL AREA HE OFTEN GETS CHANGED TO A FREQ ONLY TO BE PASSED BACK TO THE PREVIOUS FREQ WITH THE REMARK THAT THE FREQ CHANGE WAS EITHER IN ERROR OR THE FREQ WAS WRONG. QUITE OFTEN 1 CALL WILL BE MADE ON A NEW FREQ AND THEN THE ACFT IS CHANGED TO ANOTHER FREQ FOR HANDLING. RPTR WONDERS IF THERE IS A 'COUNT' SYS BEING PLAYED UPON. RPTR HAS TALKED WITH THE CHIEF IN THE ZTL AREA AND HE BLAMES THE PROB ON THE FSS STATIONS WHICH THE RPTR FINDS HARD TO BELIEVE AS HE HAS EVEN HAD THE FSS OPERATORS READ VERBATIM HIS FILED CLRNCS. TO RECAP, RPTR FEELS THAT THE ZTL, ZMA AND ZJX SHOULD BE REVIEWED AS TO FLT PLAN AND ENRTE HANDLING PROCS.

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.

Reporter complains of inadequate enroute handling by ATC centeres. Center ARTCC radar controllers acted as though the flight plan had not been filed, asking repeatedly what the route and destination were for the cpr aircraft.