ATC intercoord difficulty between tower and approach controller.

Attributes
ACN	305210
Time
Date	199505
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cak
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cak tower : cak
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 5600 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	305210
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

On our flight from pit to cak my first officer was flying. While we were with cak approach we were given a heading of 360 degrees, then a heading of 270 degrees. We had cak in sight and we were directly over akr. Cak was landing on runway 19. As we were crossing the extended centerline of runway 19 the controller said contact tower. I questioned him because we did not have an approach clearance. 'Verify to tower' he responded contact tower. Both myself and my first officer thought this was unusual but we contacted tower as instructed. Once with tower we were given an 'immediate' left turn to 190 degrees. Cessna and saab traffic was then pointed out to us and tower cleared us for visual to runway 19 and we landed without incident. The controller (approach) sounded overworked. I feel the controller lost awareness. I believe we need better checks and balances for our ATC system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC INTERCOORD DIFFICULTY BTWN TWR AND APCH CTLR.

Narrative: ON OUR FLT FROM PIT TO CAK MY FO WAS FLYING. WHILE WE WERE WITH CAK APCH WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 360 DEGS, THEN A HDG OF 270 DEGS. WE HAD CAK IN SIGHT AND WE WERE DIRECTLY OVER AKR. CAK WAS LNDG ON RWY 19. AS WE WERE XING THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 19 THE CTLR SAID CONTACT TWR. I QUESTIONED HIM BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE AN APCH CLRNC. 'VERIFY TO TWR' HE RESPONDED CONTACT TWR. BOTH MYSELF AND MY FO THOUGHT THIS WAS UNUSUAL BUT WE CONTACTED TWR AS INSTRUCTED. ONCE WITH TWR WE WERE GIVEN AN 'IMMEDIATE' L TURN TO 190 DEGS. CESSNA AND SAAB TFC WAS THEN POINTED OUT TO US AND TWR CLRED US FOR VISUAL TO RWY 19 AND WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CTLR (APCH) SOUNDED OVERWORKED. I FEEL THE CTLR LOST AWARENESS. I BELIEVE WE NEED BETTER CHKS AND BALS FOR OUR ATC SYS.

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.