Narrative:

This refers to flight from phl to bos on sep/fri/94. Scheduled arrival at bos is XY45 local. The destination WX is clear with a surface wind of 300 degrees at 18 KTS. Left phl on schedule a routine and pleasant ride until passing jfk. Switched over to bos center and given a 250 KT speed restr. At XX20 given 'pvd' as a holding fix with an expect further clearance time of XA00. Entered holding and changed alternate to pvd. At XX55 vectored out of holding pattern and handed over to bos approach control. Fuel on board now 7600 pounds. Routine handling with an additional speed reduction to 250 KIAS. Received the anticipated vector to intercept the runway 33 localizer. Notified company of revised gate estimate of XA05. Still on original vector -- now well past the localizer and directly overhead provincetown, ma. Questioned controller. Received an immediate frequency change with a new heading of 350 degrees. We are now 40 plus mi from the airport heading vaguely to the nh shoreline. The alternate (pvd) is 40 mi to the south of bos. Pvd as an escape from bos has become academic. The crow has been slowly sucked into an untenable position. A slight tightening of the captain's sphincter muscle causes him to demand an explanation from this controller as to what they are up to. Told that the aircraft is being set up for an extensive vectoring sequence on the north side of the approach course that will probably take another 15-20 mins. That this is one of 30 aircraft that are being handled by approach control. This is first indication that approach control is not in control. Refused the clearance. Received 1 more frequency change and eventually sequenced onto final. Landed at XA21 with 4800 pounds fuel on board. No information being fed to the cockpit crow. A normal assumption would be a 10-15 min approach sequence. As a practical matter, once you have departed your terminal holding fix, you have committed the aircraft to the destination airport. There was a phone call to approach control. Explanation offered was poor metering by ZBW. Approach control was unable to stop the flow of aircraft and was overwhelmed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC HANDLING.

Narrative: THIS REFERS TO FLT FROM PHL TO BOS ON SEP/FRI/94. SCHEDULED ARR AT BOS IS XY45 LCL. THE DEST WX IS CLR WITH A SURFACE WIND OF 300 DEGS AT 18 KTS. LEFT PHL ON SCHEDULE A ROUTINE AND PLEASANT RIDE UNTIL PASSING JFK. SWITCHED OVER TO BOS CTR AND GIVEN A 250 KT SPD RESTR. AT XX20 GIVEN 'PVD' AS A HOLDING FIX WITH AN EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC TIME OF XA00. ENTERED HOLDING AND CHANGED ALTERNATE TO PVD. AT XX55 VECTORED OUT OF HOLDING PATTERN AND HANDED OVER TO BOS APCH CTL. FUEL ON BOARD NOW 7600 LBS. ROUTINE HANDLING WITH AN ADDITIONAL SPD REDUCTION TO 250 KIAS. RECEIVED THE ANTICIPATED VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 33 LOC. NOTIFIED COMPANY OF REVISED GATE ESTIMATE OF XA05. STILL ON ORIGINAL VECTOR -- NOW WELL PAST THE LOC AND DIRECTLY OVERHEAD PROVINCETOWN, MA. QUESTIONED CTLR. RECEIVED AN IMMEDIATE FREQ CHANGE WITH A NEW HDG OF 350 DEGS. WE ARE NOW 40 PLUS MI FROM THE ARPT HDG VAGUELY TO THE NH SHORELINE. THE ALTERNATE (PVD) IS 40 MI TO THE S OF BOS. PVD AS AN ESCAPE FROM BOS HAS BECOME ACADEMIC. THE CROW HAS BEEN SLOWLY SUCKED INTO AN UNTENABLE POS. A SLIGHT TIGHTENING OF THE CAPT'S SPHINCTER MUSCLE CAUSES HIM TO DEMAND AN EXPLANATION FROM THIS CTLR AS TO WHAT THEY ARE UP TO. TOLD THAT THE ACFT IS BEING SET UP FOR AN EXTENSIVE VECTORING SEQUENCE ON THE N SIDE OF THE APCH COURSE THAT WILL PROBABLY TAKE ANOTHER 15-20 MINS. THAT THIS IS ONE OF 30 ACFT THAT ARE BEING HANDLED BY APCH CTL. THIS IS FIRST INDICATION THAT APCH CTL IS NOT IN CTL. REFUSED THE CLRNC. RECEIVED 1 MORE FREQ CHANGE AND EVENTUALLY SEQUENCED ONTO FINAL. LANDED AT XA21 WITH 4800 LBS FUEL ON BOARD. NO INFO BEING FED TO THE COCKPIT CROW. A NORMAL ASSUMPTION WOULD BE A 10-15 MIN APCH SEQUENCE. AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, ONCE YOU HAVE DEPARTED YOUR TERMINAL HOLDING FIX, YOU HAVE COMMITTED THE ACFT TO THE DEST ARPT. THERE WAS A PHONE CALL TO APCH CTL. EXPLANATION OFFERED WAS POOR METERING BY ZBW. APCH CTL WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE FLOW OF ACFT AND WAS OVERWHELMED.

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.