Narrative:

Air carrier X approaching slc from the south, we were level at 9000 ft MSL assigned. The controller became involved with a light airplane who had popped up on the frequency, requesting routine assistance. The ensuing discourse between the 2 became very lengthy, and it became obvious that the controller had totally forgotten about us. We requested a lower altitude, and the controller replied. 'Aircraft requesting lower, standby.' he then continued his conversation with the other aircraft. We were now approximately 5 mi from the runway at 5000 ft AGL. We were about to switch to another frequency on our own, when the controller finally realized that he had forgotten to hand us off, which he did with no apology. The next controller asked us if we could make the runway, and I told the first officer to tell him that we could not. The controller instructed us to make a left 360, which we executed to a normal landing. Fortunately, this event occurred at a time when the airport was not very busy with arrival traffic. Had this not been the case, a potentially dangerous situation would have existed for us and other aircraft in the area, since we had been forgotten by a controller in a busy environment. All to often, controllers are distracted by pop-up traffic when they do not have time to deal with it, and a hazardous situation is thus created. Air traffic controllers make just as many mistakes while performing their duties as pilots do, and yet pilots have no real means by which to officially cite them for mistakes, which jeopardizes safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR FORGOT ACR X AND FAILED TO ISSUE APCH CLRNC IN A TIMELY MANNER.

Narrative: ACR X APCHING SLC FROM THE S, WE WERE LEVEL AT 9000 FT MSL ASSIGNED. THE CTLR BECAME INVOLVED WITH A LIGHT AIRPLANE WHO HAD POPPED UP ON THE FREQ, REQUESTING ROUTINE ASSISTANCE. THE ENSUING DISCOURSE BTWN THE 2 BECAME VERY LENGTHY, AND IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE CTLR HAD TOTALLY FORGOTTEN ABOUT US. WE REQUESTED A LOWER ALT, AND THE CTLR REPLIED. 'ACFT REQUESTING LOWER, STANDBY.' HE THEN CONTINUED HIS CONVERSATION WITH THE OTHER ACFT. WE WERE NOW APPROX 5 MI FROM THE RWY AT 5000 FT AGL. WE WERE ABOUT TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER FREQ ON OUR OWN, WHEN THE CTLR FINALLY REALIZED THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO HAND US OFF, WHICH HE DID WITH NO APOLOGY. THE NEXT CTLR ASKED US IF WE COULD MAKE THE RWY, AND I TOLD THE FO TO TELL HIM THAT WE COULD NOT. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE A L 360, WHICH WE EXECUTED TO A NORMAL LNDG. FORTUNATELY, THIS EVENT OCCURRED AT A TIME WHEN THE ARPT WAS NOT VERY BUSY WITH ARR TFC. HAD THIS NOT BEEN THE CASE, A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WOULD HAVE EXISTED FOR US AND OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA, SINCE WE HAD BEEN FORGOTTEN BY A CTLR IN A BUSY ENVIRONMENT. ALL TO OFTEN, CTLRS ARE DISTRACTED BY POP-UP TFC WHEN THEY DO NOT HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH IT, AND A HAZARDOUS SITUATION IS THUS CREATED. AIR TFC CTLRS MAKE JUST AS MANY MISTAKES WHILE PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES AS PLTS DO, AND YET PLTS HAVE NO REAL MEANS BY WHICH TO OFFICIALLY CITE THEM FOR MISTAKES, WHICH JEOPARDIZES SAFETY.

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.