Narrative:

Air carrier X planned filed arrival into dfw was the boyds 4. This was changed by ZFW 3 times due to errors in the traffic management system. We were alternately cleared for the boyds 4, the blue ridge 6, the boyds 4, and finally, back to the blue ridge 6 over a 15 min period of constant heading changes and direct clearance to various fixes. ATC confusion was very evident and resulted in lengthy discussions over the radio. Coordination between center and approach was nonexistent. WX in the terminal area was significant with turbulence, heavy rain, lightning, rime icing, and strong winds. ATIS reported 1200 ft scattered. 5000 ft broken, 14000 ft overcast, winds 190 degrees at 8 KTS landing runways 36L and 35R. This report was current throughout our approach and would prove to be completely incorrect. Actual WX was much worse. Approach control vectored us from hamak, the final fix on the published approach, without any instructions for an ILS to specific runway, any updates on the deteriorating WX or any mention that we were on a vector for a short final to avoid WX south of the field. As with all the controllers we encountered, this individual was grossly overloaded with delayed arrival traffic and radio frequencys totally saturated. This situation allowed no time for explanation or discussions we queried the controller and finally received clearance for ILS 36L, 7 mi from touchdown. Congestion on tower frequency was the worst I have ever seen in 15 yrs of airline flying at air carrier! A single controller was completely overwhelmed with his assignment to control ground and tower traffic for all 4 runways! This min staffing situation was dangerous and inexcusable particularly because of the huge volume of WX delayed traffic now arriving and marginal field conditions. We broke out of the WX at 400 ft AGL in heavy rain and gusty winds. Full instrument approachs were absolutely required. There was so much traffic on this single frequency for taxi, takeoff, landing, and crossing runway clrncs that it was totally impossible to make a radio call. Chatter and confusion was so high that both of my other cockpit crew members commented openly about the safety aspects of this chaos.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X BAD ENCOUNTER WITH WX DELAYS AND ATC HANDLING.

Narrative: ACR X PLANNED FILED ARR INTO DFW WAS THE BOYDS 4. THIS WAS CHANGED BY ZFW 3 TIMES DUE TO ERRORS IN THE TFC MGMNT SYS. WE WERE ALTERNATELY CLRED FOR THE BOYDS 4, THE BLUE RIDGE 6, THE BOYDS 4, AND FINALLY, BACK TO THE BLUE RIDGE 6 OVER A 15 MIN PERIOD OF CONSTANT HDG CHANGES AND DIRECT CLRNC TO VARIOUS FIXES. ATC CONFUSION WAS VERY EVIDENT AND RESULTED IN LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS OVER THE RADIO. COORD BTWN CTR AND APCH WAS NONEXISTENT. WX IN THE TERMINAL AREA WAS SIGNIFICANT WITH TURB, HVY RAIN, LIGHTNING, RIME ICING, AND STRONG WINDS. ATIS RPTED 1200 FT SCATTERED. 5000 FT BROKEN, 14000 FT OVCST, WINDS 190 DEGS AT 8 KTS LNDG RWYS 36L AND 35R. THIS RPT WAS CURRENT THROUGHOUT OUR APCH AND WOULD PROVE TO BE COMPLETELY INCORRECT. ACTUAL WX WAS MUCH WORSE. APCH CTL VECTORED US FROM HAMAK, THE FINAL FIX ON THE PUBLISHED APCH, WITHOUT ANY INSTRUCTIONS FOR AN ILS TO SPECIFIC RWY, ANY UPDATES ON THE DETERIORATING WX OR ANY MENTION THAT WE WERE ON A VECTOR FOR A SHORT FINAL TO AVOID WX S OF THE FIELD. AS WITH ALL THE CTLRS WE ENCOUNTERED, THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS GROSSLY OVERLOADED WITH DELAYED ARR TFC AND RADIO FREQS TOTALLY SATURATED. THIS SIT ALLOWED NO TIME FOR EXPLANATION OR DISCUSSIONS WE QUERIED THE CTLR AND FINALLY RECEIVED CLRNC FOR ILS 36L, 7 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN. CONGESTION ON TWR FREQ WAS THE WORST I HAVE EVER SEEN IN 15 YRS OF AIRLINE FLYING AT ACR! A SINGLE CTLR WAS COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED WITH HIS ASSIGNMENT TO CTL GND AND TWR TFC FOR ALL 4 RWYS! THIS MIN STAFFING SIT WAS DANGEROUS AND INEXCUSABLE PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE HUGE VOLUME OF WX DELAYED TFC NOW ARRIVING AND MARGINAL FIELD CONDITIONS. WE BROKE OUT OF THE WX AT 400 FT AGL IN HVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. FULL INST APCHS WERE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED. THERE WAS SO MUCH TFC ON THIS SINGLE FREQ FOR TAXI, TKOF, LNDG, AND XING RWY CLRNCS THAT IT WAS TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE A RADIO CALL. CHATTER AND CONFUSION WAS SO HIGH THAT BOTH OF MY OTHER COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS COMMENTED OPENLY ABOUT THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF THIS CHAOS.

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.