Reporter unable to gain satisfactory service from laughlin approach controller.

Attributes
ACN	303369
Time
Date	199504
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dlf
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dlf
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Jet Ranger Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 48 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	303369
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

After informing laughlin approach while on ground that we needed to follow accompanying helicopter because it was having generator trouble and had a need to be visually followed in event of loss of electrical it may have to land immediately with no radio contact, we took off from del rio international. After takeoff we again informed laughlin of our request to follow the helicopter to the north of their air traffic area at 1000 ft above the helicopter. Instead, the ATC refused to allow us both to be vectored within view of each other. Further, he refused to allow us verbal approval to cross the ILS centerline more than 15 mi from the airport and in visual contact with traffic that was already past us and on landing approach with no other immediate traffic. Besides being vectored toward instead of clear of traffic in VFR on military ILS (beech jet). We were denied our reasonable request outside his airspace of control and was verbally chastised and then ignored when requested help to find helicopter which was by then 10 mi away and had lost electrical power and radios. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was flying a cessna 172 and requesting his vectors be consistent with him being able to keep a bell jet ranger in sight because the bell jet ranger had a possible generator problem. The request was not made over the telephone but by radio prior to departure. At no time prior to or after did he attempt to contact laughlin approach via the telephone. There was no reason from his perspective why the controller refused to cooperate and was belligerent in the process. The helicopter did lose his electrical power and had to make a forced landing at hondo. Contact between the helicopter and the cessna 172 was maintained via a cellular phone. The intended ferry flight was from del rio to san antonio. The reporter stated he flies into del rio about once a yr and has found the approach control there to be uniquely caustic and abrasive.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR UNABLE TO GAIN SATISFACTORY SVC FROM LAUGHLIN APCH CTLR.

Narrative: AFTER INFORMING LAUGHLIN APCH WHILE ON GND THAT WE NEEDED TO FOLLOW ACCOMPANYING HELI BECAUSE IT WAS HAVING GENERATOR TROUBLE AND HAD A NEED TO BE VISUALLY FOLLOWED IN EVENT OF LOSS OF ELECTRICAL IT MAY HAVE TO LAND IMMEDIATELY WITH NO RADIO CONTACT, WE TOOK OFF FROM DEL RIO INTL. AFTER TKOF WE AGAIN INFORMED LAUGHLIN OF OUR REQUEST TO FOLLOW THE HELI TO THE N OF THEIR ATA AT 1000 FT ABOVE THE HELI. INSTEAD, THE ATC REFUSED TO ALLOW US BOTH TO BE VECTORED WITHIN VIEW OF EACH OTHER. FURTHER, HE REFUSED TO ALLOW US VERBAL APPROVAL TO CROSS THE ILS CTRLINE MORE THAN 15 MI FROM THE ARPT AND IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH TFC THAT WAS ALREADY PAST US AND ON LNDG APCH WITH NO OTHER IMMEDIATE TFC. BESIDES BEING VECTORED TOWARD INSTEAD OF CLR OF TFC IN VFR ON MILITARY ILS (BEECH JET). WE WERE DENIED OUR REASONABLE REQUEST OUTSIDE HIS AIRSPACE OF CTL AND WAS VERBALLY CHASTISED AND THEN IGNORED WHEN REQUESTED HELP TO FIND HELI WHICH WAS BY THEN 10 MI AWAY AND HAD LOST ELECTRICAL PWR AND RADIOS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A CESSNA 172 AND REQUESTING HIS VECTORS BE CONSISTENT WITH HIM BEING ABLE TO KEEP A BELL JET RANGER IN SIGHT BECAUSE THE BELL JET RANGER HAD A POSSIBLE GENERATOR PROB. THE REQUEST WAS NOT MADE OVER THE TELEPHONE BUT BY RADIO PRIOR TO DEP. AT NO TIME PRIOR TO OR AFTER DID HE ATTEMPT TO CONTACT LAUGHLIN APCH VIA THE TELEPHONE. THERE WAS NO REASON FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE WHY THE CTLR REFUSED TO COOPERATE AND WAS BELLIGERENT IN THE PROCESS. THE HELI DID LOSE HIS ELECTRICAL PWR AND HAD TO MAKE A FORCED LNDG AT HONDO. CONTACT BTWN THE HELI AND THE CESSNA 172 WAS MAINTAINED VIA A CELLULAR PHONE. THE INTENDED FERRY FLT WAS FROM DEL RIO TO SAN ANTONIO. THE RPTR STATED HE FLIES INTO DEL RIO ABOUT ONCE A YR AND HAS FOUND THE APCH CTL THERE TO BE UNIQUELY CAUSTIC AND ABRASIVE.

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.