Narrative:

We were on the dades 1 arrival into tampa. At dades, we were given a vector for a runway 36L ILS approach. During the arrival, we were painting a large cell on radar approaching tampa airport northwest to southeast. The WX at the airport started to go down and eventually got to 1/2 mi visibility in heavy rain with lightning. At that time we requested holding until the cell moved on to the southeast. The controller sounded annoyed at our request stating that the last 4 air carrier type aircraft shot the approach and landed with no problem. We asked for holding instructions again and received instructions to hold northwest of lakeland VOR on the 330 degree radial between the 5 and 15 DME fix, direction of turn our choice. We read back the instructions but understood to hold at lakeland VOR on the 330 degree radial, turns our choice, with the leg lengths to be 5-15 DME legs. While entering the hold over the VOR, the controller called us and told us to turn to 360 degrees and he would vector us into the hold. I requested clarification and we then realized the miscom. Both of us heard the same clearance so we are not sure who really was in error. However, there was no traffic conflict and from there on we were just issued delaying vectors instead of holding. The controller's attitude was bad and did not change. He repeatedly tried to talk us and other aircraft into shooting the approach with a thunderstorm overhead the airport. When the WX improved, he continued to exert pressure to hurry the approach and land. I feel we were handled very poorly and unprofessionally and not in the best interest of safety. I think the miscom was partly due to the controller's attitude and our surprise at his remarks. Common respect for a captain's decision to delay an approach and controller professionalism might have avoided this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG FLEW THE WRONG TRACK DURING ENTRY TO HOLDING.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE DADES 1 ARR INTO TAMPA. AT DADES, WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR FOR A RWY 36L ILS APCH. DURING THE ARR, WE WERE PAINTING A LARGE CELL ON RADAR APCHING TAMPA ARPT NW TO SE. THE WX AT THE ARPT STARTED TO GO DOWN AND EVENTUALLY GOT TO 1/2 MI VISIBILITY IN HVY RAIN WITH LIGHTNING. AT THAT TIME WE REQUESTED HOLDING UNTIL THE CELL MOVED ON TO THE SE. THE CTLR SOUNDED ANNOYED AT OUR REQUEST STATING THAT THE LAST 4 ACR TYPE ACFT SHOT THE APCH AND LANDED WITH NO PROB. WE ASKED FOR HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AGAIN AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD NW OF LAKELAND VOR ON THE 330 DEG RADIAL BTWN THE 5 AND 15 DME FIX, DIRECTION OF TURN OUR CHOICE. WE READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS BUT UNDERSTOOD TO HOLD AT LAKELAND VOR ON THE 330 DEG RADIAL, TURNS OUR CHOICE, WITH THE LEG LENGTHS TO BE 5-15 DME LEGS. WHILE ENTERING THE HOLD OVER THE VOR, THE CTLR CALLED US AND TOLD US TO TURN TO 360 DEGS AND HE WOULD VECTOR US INTO THE HOLD. I REQUESTED CLARIFICATION AND WE THEN REALIZED THE MISCOM. BOTH OF US HEARD THE SAME CLRNC SO WE ARE NOT SURE WHO REALLY WAS IN ERROR. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT AND FROM THERE ON WE WERE JUST ISSUED DELAYING VECTORS INSTEAD OF HOLDING. THE CTLR'S ATTITUDE WAS BAD AND DID NOT CHANGE. HE REPEATEDLY TRIED TO TALK US AND OTHER ACFT INTO SHOOTING THE APCH WITH A TSTM OVERHEAD THE ARPT. WHEN THE WX IMPROVED, HE CONTINUED TO EXERT PRESSURE TO HURRY THE APCH AND LAND. I FEEL WE WERE HANDLED VERY POORLY AND UNPROFESSIONALLY AND NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF SAFETY. I THINK THE MISCOM WAS PARTLY DUE TO THE CTLR'S ATTITUDE AND OUR SURPRISE AT HIS REMARKS. COMMON RESPECT FOR A CAPT'S DECISION TO DELAY AN APCH AND CTLR PROFESSIONALISM MIGHT HAVE AVOIDED THIS SIT.

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.