Congested traffic caused controller to speak continuously preventing 2-WAY communication.

Attributes
ACN	177780
Time
Date	199105
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	177780
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

We were being vectored on right base leg for a visibility approach to runway 17R at den, heading 090 degrees and at 8000' MSL. The controller called out traffic making a visibility approach to the parallel runway and also traffic ahead of us on final approach track to our runway. When we were unable to spot the traffic on the parallel runway, controller turned us back to a west heading (a 360 degree turn, eventually) to line up for another visibility. Another aircraft was on downwind and above us during the turn. Considerable confusion due to the vol of traffic being crammed down the chute of both runways. Most important cause of traffic conflict was 2 items: controller tried to get us in with a pattern that was too close and high to the airport and then relied on us being able to see other traffic when we couldn't. Also, the radio was being used almost entirely by the controller; i.e., she talked, but we couldn't, other than to specifically acknowledge an instruction. When combined with a large vol of traffic being routed into a major terminal, it produced an extremely dangerous situation; i.e., pilots cannot communicate their needs or input to the ground. Controllers cannot be allowed to monopolize the frequency or create high tension/close proximity situations in the name of handling the workload.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONGESTED TRAFFIC CAUSED CTLR TO SPEAK CONTINUOUSLY PREVENTING 2-WAY COM.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED ON RIGHT BASE LEG FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 17R AT DEN, HDG 090 DEGS AND AT 8000' MSL. THE CTLR CALLED OUT TFC MAKING A VIS APCH TO THE PARALLEL RWY AND ALSO TFC AHEAD OF US ON FINAL APCH TRACK TO OUR RWY. WHEN WE WERE UNABLE TO SPOT THE TFC ON THE PARALLEL RWY, CTLR TURNED US BACK TO A W HDG (A 360 DEG TURN, EVENTUALLY) TO LINE UP FOR ANOTHER VIS. ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON DOWNWIND AND ABOVE US DURING THE TURN. CONSIDERABLE CONFUSION DUE TO THE VOL OF TFC BEING CRAMMED DOWN THE CHUTE OF BOTH RWYS. MOST IMPORTANT CAUSE OF TFC CONFLICT WAS 2 ITEMS: CTLR TRIED TO GET US IN WITH A PATTERN THAT WAS TOO CLOSE AND HIGH TO THE ARPT AND THEN RELIED ON US BEING ABLE TO SEE OTHER TFC WHEN WE COULDN'T. ALSO, THE RADIO WAS BEING USED ALMOST ENTIRELY BY THE CTLR; I.E., SHE TALKED, BUT WE COULDN'T, OTHER THAN TO SPECIFICALLY ACKNOWLEDGE AN INSTRUCTION. WHEN COMBINED WITH A LARGE VOL OF TFC BEING ROUTED INTO A MAJOR TERMINAL, IT PRODUCED AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION; I.E., PLTS CANNOT COMMUNICATE THEIR NEEDS OR INPUT TO THE GND. CTLRS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO MONOPOLIZE THE FREQ OR CREATE HIGH TENSION/CLOSE PROX SITUATIONS IN THE NAME OF HANDLING THE WORKLOAD.

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.