GA small aircraft frequency change late as aircraft was transiting next sector's airspace.

Attributes
ACN	170756
Time
Date	199102
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ord
State Reference	IL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : den
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : ord
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 4000
ASRS Report	170756
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

123.75 in the south suburbia of chicago, en route back to home base of 1c2. Knowing that I should have received a ord approach frequency before leaving ZAU, I called ZAU 3 times before getting them to answer. They told me that I should have changed over to approach. I told them I did not hear any communication from them and had tried 3 times to call them. There seems to be too much traffic on the ZAU frequencys while approaching ord for the controllers to handle properly. Pilot-controller communications seem to be getting increasingly poorer. The workload appears to be more than ATC can handle on a given frequency. The controller's speaking speed continues to increase west/O time for him/her to confirm/acknowledge the pilot's readback of clrncs. I believe ATC needs to study this area. I fly IFR 100% of the time I am in the air and see a growing deficiency in the ATC en route and approach controller ability to safely and adequately communicate with the pilot. Because of these growing problems, I find that I am sending in more NASA arc-277 forms. In my last 3 flts, I sent in 3 forms.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA FREQ CHANGE LATE AS ACFT WAS TRANSITING NEXT SECTOR'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: 123.75 IN THE S SUBURBIA OF CHICAGO, ENRTE BACK TO HOME BASE OF 1C2. KNOWING THAT I SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A ORD APCH FREQ BEFORE LEAVING ZAU, I CALLED ZAU 3 TIMES BEFORE GETTING THEM TO ANSWER. THEY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE CHANGED OVER TO APCH. I TOLD THEM I DID NOT HEAR ANY COM FROM THEM AND HAD TRIED 3 TIMES TO CALL THEM. THERE SEEMS TO BE TOO MUCH TFC ON THE ZAU FREQS WHILE APCHING ORD FOR THE CTLRS TO HANDLE PROPERLY. PLT-CTLR COMS SEEM TO BE GETTING INCREASINGLY POORER. THE WORKLOAD APPEARS TO BE MORE THAN ATC CAN HANDLE ON A GIVEN FREQ. THE CTLR'S SPEAKING SPD CONTINUES TO INCREASE W/O TIME FOR HIM/HER TO CONFIRM/ACKNOWLEDGE THE PLT'S READBACK OF CLRNCS. I BELIEVE ATC NEEDS TO STUDY THIS AREA. I FLY IFR 100% OF THE TIME I AM IN THE AIR AND SEE A GROWING DEFICIENCY IN THE ATC ENRTE AND APCH CTLR ABILITY TO SAFELY AND ADEQUATELY COMMUNICATE WITH THE PLT. BECAUSE OF THESE GROWING PROBS, I FIND THAT I AM SENDING IN MORE NASA ARC-277 FORMS. IN MY LAST 3 FLTS, I SENT IN 3 FORMS.

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.