Narrative:

This trip had an instructor pilot as the PIC and a new hire first officer with a total of 9 hours in type and 9 hours with the company. The instructor pilot has 7 yrs experience as an instructor in type. The first officer was on his 3RD leg of IOE and was the PF. ZTL began giving us numerous heading, altitude, and speed control changes in preparation for our arrival into atlanta. After being turned over to atlanta approach control, the intensity of directions from ATC increased significantly. All radio calls to us (and all traffic) included 2-4 instructions in rapid succession. Ie: 'turn right 180 degrees descend 5000 ft, cross cegro at or above 5000 ft, maintain 180 KTS to freal, cleared for the ILS runway 26R.' in a busy cockpit (especially in a training environment), lengthy radio xmissions are not conducive to safety. I believe I accidently bumped or moved the course set knob (which is next to the heading knob) resulting in an incorrect inbound ILS course. This error allowed us to fly through the localizer, creating a potentially hazardous situation, especially considering that simultaneous approachs were being made to the south parallel runways (27). I believe the incorrect inbound course and excessively long and very fast radio xmissions by ATC contributed to our flying through the localizer. Obviously, the new pilot in the aircraft was a factor. ATC must be made aware also of the extremely heavy work load a flight crew is under in the terminal area while flying a transport category aircraft. Radio xmissions should not contain more than 2 instructions or 3 only if absolutely necessary. To my knowledge, there was no conflict with other traffic. A stuck microphone button in our cockpit also caused great concern to ATC. The microphone button was stuck for 15-20 seconds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR INSTRUCTOR CAPT DEPLORES THE VOLUME OF ATC INSTRUCTIONS ON APCH TO ATL.

Narrative: THIS TRIP HAD AN INSTRUCTOR PLT AS THE PIC AND A NEW HIRE FO WITH A TOTAL OF 9 HRS IN TYPE AND 9 HRS WITH THE COMPANY. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT HAS 7 YRS EXPERIENCE AS AN INSTRUCTOR IN TYPE. THE FO WAS ON HIS 3RD LEG OF IOE AND WAS THE PF. ZTL BEGAN GIVING US NUMEROUS HDG, ALT, AND SPD CTL CHANGES IN PREPARATION FOR OUR ARR INTO ATLANTA. AFTER BEING TURNED OVER TO ATLANTA APCH CTL, THE INTENSITY OF DIRECTIONS FROM ATC INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. ALL RADIO CALLS TO US (AND ALL TFC) INCLUDED 2-4 INSTRUCTIONS IN RAPID SUCCESSION. IE: 'TURN R 180 DEGS DSND 5000 FT, CROSS CEGRO AT OR ABOVE 5000 FT, MAINTAIN 180 KTS TO FREAL, CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 26R.' IN A BUSY COCKPIT (ESPECIALLY IN A TRAINING ENVIRONMENT), LENGTHY RADIO XMISSIONS ARE NOT CONDUCIVE TO SAFETY. I BELIEVE I ACCIDENTLY BUMPED OR MOVED THE COURSE SET KNOB (WHICH IS NEXT TO THE HDG KNOB) RESULTING IN AN INCORRECT INBOUND ILS COURSE. THIS ERROR ALLOWED US TO FLY THROUGH THE LOC, CREATING A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SIT, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT SIMULTANEOUS APCHS WERE BEING MADE TO THE S PARALLEL RWYS (27). I BELIEVE THE INCORRECT INBOUND COURSE AND EXCESSIVELY LONG AND VERY FAST RADIO XMISSIONS BY ATC CONTRIBUTED TO OUR FLYING THROUGH THE LOC. OBVIOUSLY, THE NEW PLT IN THE ACFT WAS A FACTOR. ATC MUST BE MADE AWARE ALSO OF THE EXTREMELY HVY WORK LOAD A FLC IS UNDER IN THE TERMINAL AREA WHILE FLYING A TRANSPORT CATEGORY ACFT. RADIO XMISSIONS SHOULD NOT CONTAIN MORE THAN 2 INSTRUCTIONS OR 3 ONLY IF ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. A STUCK MIKE BUTTON IN OUR COCKPIT ALSO CAUSED GREAT CONCERN TO ATC. THE MIKE BUTTON WAS STUCK FOR 15-20 SECONDS.

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.