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Flight crew of B737-300 has difficulty contacting departure control on climb. Controller explains he is too busy to respond when contact finally made. Reporter states atl has same problem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 360300 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : den |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : den |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 360300 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
FAA inspector observing in jump seat and taking notes the entire time. Took off on runway 25 den. Tower switched us to den departure. We had briefed the 'T' procedure, NOTAM for 'rock 1 2' departure, and lost communication procedure for den prior to takeoff. We had also flown same aircraft from atl to den earlier this am so no prior radio problems or old write-ups. Tried to check in with a busy den departure control. We could hear him and after 3 or 4 tries, he finally answered and explained that he was too busy to answer! We were on the verge of executing the climb to 16000 ft and squawk identify and/or the lost communication procedure for den. Again. Just as in atl the night before, I sense an overloaded ATC controller doing the best he can but he had too many alligators around him in the swamp, and the quicksand that he was standing on wasn't helping either. Do we sense a shortage of ATC personnel here!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF B737-300 HAS DIFFICULTY CONTACTING DEP CTL ON CLB. CTLR EXPLAINS HE IS TOO BUSY TO RESPOND WHEN CONTACT FINALLY MADE. RPTR STATES ATL HAS SAME PROB.
Narrative: FAA INSPECTOR OBSERVING IN JUMP SEAT AND TAKING NOTES THE ENTIRE TIME. TOOK OFF ON RWY 25 DEN. TWR SWITCHED US TO DEN DEP. WE HAD BRIEFED THE 'T' PROC, NOTAM FOR 'ROCK 1 2' DEP, AND LOST COM PROC FOR DEN PRIOR TO TKOF. WE HAD ALSO FLOWN SAME ACFT FROM ATL TO DEN EARLIER THIS AM SO NO PRIOR RADIO PROBS OR OLD WRITE-UPS. TRIED TO CHK IN WITH A BUSY DEN DEP CTL. WE COULD HEAR HIM AND AFTER 3 OR 4 TRIES, HE FINALLY ANSWERED AND EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS TOO BUSY TO ANSWER! WE WERE ON THE VERGE OF EXECUTING THE CLB TO 16000 FT AND SQUAWK IDENT AND/OR THE LOST COM PROC FOR DEN. AGAIN. JUST AS IN ATL THE NIGHT BEFORE, I SENSE AN OVERLOADED ATC CTLR DOING THE BEST HE CAN BUT HE HAD TOO MANY ALLIGATORS AROUND HIM IN THE SWAMP, AND THE QUICKSAND THAT HE WAS STANDING ON WASN'T HELPING EITHER. DO WE SENSE A SHORTAGE OF ATC PERSONNEL HERE!
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.