Air carrier being vectored around for WX and traffic complains about ATC service.

Attributes
ACN	214477
Time
Date	199206
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 19600 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	214477
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On arriving at bwi, after much vectoring due to traffic and thunderstorms at bwi, we were turned to intercept the ILS for runway 33L at bwi. After being cleared for the approach and outside the 'splat' fix, the controller told us to hold at 15 mi fix on the 33L ILS and make right turns with 8 mi legs. (We were one of many aircraft being vectored around). The action by the controller took place while we were on the 33L localizer inbound to the runway, and approximately 20 mi out. We initiated our right turn at the 15 mi fix for the hold on the 33L localizer at 23 mi we started out right turn back to the fix. At this point we got a 'TCASII TA' at 5000 ft, at approximately our 10-11 O'clock position (we were also at 5000 ft). My copilot questioned the controller about this traffic. The controller said he had no contact. Then the controller said we show you past your holding leg, you're at 26 mi (we were flying at 230 KTS in the hold). We told the controller we were in our turn back to the fix (the controller was controling many aircraft). A new controller took over and said that we were going to hold at another location due to thunderstorms at the airport, and also to change runways on us. We were told to hold at a new fix off the balance VOR this time. We turned to the heading given us. Before we got to the new fix the controller said he was going to vector us for an ILS to runway 10 at bwi. We were then turned in for runway to shoot an ILS. It was visual on the west side of the airport by now. We were then turned right over the OM to make a visual approach to runway 10 (bwi). At this point I told the copilot to tell the controller we were breaking off the approach because we were too high and too close in. The whole episode, after mulling over what took place indicated to me that there were too many aircraft to handle (the controllers were trying to play catch-up with all the aircraft. Some cleared for visual approachs, some for ILS approachs). Too many changes in heading, type of approachs, and aircraft. The thunderstorms just didn't pop-up out of nowhere, the WX was there before we arrived. The manpwr wasn't there to do a calm collected job.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR BEING VECTORED AROUND FOR WX AND TFC COMPLAINS ABOUT ATC SVC.

Narrative: ON ARRIVING AT BWI, AFTER MUCH VECTORING DUE TO TFC AND TSTMS AT BWI, WE WERE TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE ILS FOR RWY 33L AT BWI. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH AND OUTSIDE THE 'SPLAT' FIX, THE CTLR TOLD US TO HOLD AT 15 MI FIX ON THE 33L ILS AND MAKE R TURNS WITH 8 MI LEGS. (WE WERE ONE OF MANY ACFT BEING VECTORED AROUND). THE ACTION BY THE CTLR TOOK PLACE WHILE WE WERE ON THE 33L LOC INBOUND TO THE RWY, AND APPROX 20 MI OUT. WE INITIATED OUR R TURN AT THE 15 MI FIX FOR THE HOLD ON THE 33L LOC AT 23 MI WE STARTED OUT R TURN BACK TO THE FIX. AT THIS POINT WE GOT A 'TCASII TA' AT 5000 FT, AT APPROX OUR 10-11 O'CLOCK POS (WE WERE ALSO AT 5000 FT). MY COPLT QUESTIONED THE CTLR ABOUT THIS TFC. THE CTLR SAID HE HAD NO CONTACT. THEN THE CTLR SAID WE SHOW YOU PAST YOUR HOLDING LEG, YOU'RE AT 26 MI (WE WERE FLYING AT 230 KTS IN THE HOLD). WE TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE IN OUR TURN BACK TO THE FIX (THE CTLR WAS CTLING MANY ACFT). A NEW CTLR TOOK OVER AND SAID THAT WE WERE GOING TO HOLD AT ANOTHER LOCATION DUE TO TSTMS AT THE ARPT, AND ALSO TO CHANGE RWYS ON US. WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD AT A NEW FIX OFF THE BAL VOR THIS TIME. WE TURNED TO THE HDG GIVEN US. BEFORE WE GOT TO THE NEW FIX THE CTLR SAID HE WAS GOING TO VECTOR US FOR AN ILS TO RWY 10 AT BWI. WE WERE THEN TURNED IN FOR RWY TO SHOOT AN ILS. IT WAS VISUAL ON THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT BY NOW. WE WERE THEN TURNED R OVER THE OM TO MAKE A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10 (BWI). AT THIS POINT I TOLD THE COPLT TO TELL THE CTLR WE WERE BREAKING OFF THE APCH BECAUSE WE WERE TOO HIGH AND TOO CLOSE IN. THE WHOLE EPISODE, AFTER MULLING OVER WHAT TOOK PLACE INDICATED TO ME THAT THERE WERE TOO MANY ACFT TO HANDLE (THE CTLRS WERE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH-UP WITH ALL THE ACFT. SOME CLRED FOR VISUAL APCHS, SOME FOR ILS APCHS). TOO MANY CHANGES IN HDG, TYPE OF APCHS, AND ACFT. THE TSTMS JUST DIDN'T POP-UP OUT OF NOWHERE, THE WX WAS THERE BEFORE WE ARRIVED. THE MANPWR WASN'T THERE TO DO A CALM COLLECTED JOB.

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.