Narrative:

We contacted dab approach 20 NM south of dab as we were proceeding northbound along the coast at 1000 ft. We established contact, informed him of our position and altitude, as well as 'inbound for landing.' dab approach issued a squawk code and instructions to continue along the coast northbound at 1000 ft. When we reached 7 NM south of dab and had received no further transmission from dab approach, we called dab approach again and asked whether we should contact the dab tower. We repeatedly attempted to contact dab approach without response. As we were passing abeam dab along the coast still at 1000 ft, we received a brief transmission from dab approach indicating to stand by for next controller (no frequency change or instruction to contact the next controller). Finally, we switched frequency on our own initiative to the north sector, when unable to reach the first controller. As we switched frequency, we heard our call sign. We then called back and asked when we could turn back to the airport. The female controller was irate and asked our intentions, to which we responded that since we had already passed the airport by 15 NM we would have to get back into a left downwind for runway 7L. We further attempted to explain that we had not received any instructions from the previous controller. She responded by offering a telephone number to contact after landing and issued a left turn to a heading of 190 degrees. We responded that we were unable due to parallel traffic less than 1 NM also northbound, which we had to maneuver to avoid due to a lack of TA's from dab approach. She then irately ordered us to climb to 1500 ft and then turn to 190 degrees. We acknowledged the instructions, but when the parallel traffic also climbed, she called back and ordered a right turn to 190 degrees, which we had initially requested. Eventually, we were told to enter a left base for runway 7L and then at the last min told to change to runway 7R. Finally, we experienced a long hold on the ground before we were cleared to taxi to the ramp. Following this unusual experience, we called the tower to find out what had happened. The tower supervisor responded that he had a lot of traffic and was training. The approach supervisor said that they had computer interface problems, and after talking to controller suggested that we had entered class C airspace within 3 NM of dab without authority/authorized. When I suggested that he obtain the radar plots and audio tapes to confirm our radio contacts, squawk code, and heading/altitude instructions, he declined. Apparently, despite relatively light traffic, the approach and tower controllers became so distraction by computer and training problems that they were unable to keep track of inbound traffic and keep up with communication, as well as TA's.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR SMA INBOUND TO DAB ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH APCH CTL, THEN HAD DIFFICULTY RE-ESTABLISHING COMS LATER. WHEN COM WAS RE-ESTABLISHED, THE ACFT CONTINUED TO THE ARPT AND LANDED, AND THE PLT WAS ASKED TO CALL APCH CTL. UPON CALLING, THE PLT LEARNED THAT CTLR TRAINING AND A COMPUTER INTERFACE PROB CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION.

Narrative: WE CONTACTED DAB APCH 20 NM S OF DAB AS WE WERE PROCEEDING NBOUND ALONG THE COAST AT 1000 FT. WE ESTABLISHED CONTACT, INFORMED HIM OF OUR POS AND ALT, AS WELL AS 'INBOUND FOR LNDG.' DAB APCH ISSUED A SQUAWK CODE AND INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE ALONG THE COAST NBOUND AT 1000 FT. WHEN WE REACHED 7 NM S OF DAB AND HAD RECEIVED NO FURTHER XMISSION FROM DAB APCH, WE CALLED DAB APCH AGAIN AND ASKED WHETHER WE SHOULD CONTACT THE DAB TWR. WE REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DAB APCH WITHOUT RESPONSE. AS WE WERE PASSING ABEAM DAB ALONG THE COAST STILL AT 1000 FT, WE RECEIVED A BRIEF XMISSION FROM DAB APCH INDICATING TO STAND BY FOR NEXT CTLR (NO FREQ CHANGE OR INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT THE NEXT CTLR). FINALLY, WE SWITCHED FREQ ON OUR OWN INITIATIVE TO THE N SECTOR, WHEN UNABLE TO REACH THE FIRST CTLR. AS WE SWITCHED FREQ, WE HEARD OUR CALL SIGN. WE THEN CALLED BACK AND ASKED WHEN WE COULD TURN BACK TO THE ARPT. THE FEMALE CTLR WAS IRATE AND ASKED OUR INTENTIONS, TO WHICH WE RESPONDED THAT SINCE WE HAD ALREADY PASSED THE ARPT BY 15 NM WE WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK INTO A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 7L. WE FURTHER ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS CTLR. SHE RESPONDED BY OFFERING A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT AFTER LNDG AND ISSUED A L TURN TO A HDG OF 190 DEGS. WE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE UNABLE DUE TO PARALLEL TFC LESS THAN 1 NM ALSO NBOUND, WHICH WE HAD TO MANEUVER TO AVOID DUE TO A LACK OF TA'S FROM DAB APCH. SHE THEN IRATELY ORDERED US TO CLB TO 1500 FT AND THEN TURN TO 190 DEGS. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTIONS, BUT WHEN THE PARALLEL TFC ALSO CLBED, SHE CALLED BACK AND ORDERED A R TURN TO 190 DEGS, WHICH WE HAD INITIALLY REQUESTED. EVENTUALLY, WE WERE TOLD TO ENTER A L BASE FOR RWY 7L AND THEN AT THE LAST MIN TOLD TO CHANGE TO RWY 7R. FINALLY, WE EXPERIENCED A LONG HOLD ON THE GND BEFORE WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO THE RAMP. FOLLOWING THIS UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE, WE CALLED THE TWR TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE TWR SUPVR RESPONDED THAT HE HAD A LOT OF TFC AND WAS TRAINING. THE APCH SUPVR SAID THAT THEY HAD COMPUTER INTERFACE PROBS, AND AFTER TALKING TO CTLR SUGGESTED THAT WE HAD ENTERED CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHIN 3 NM OF DAB WITHOUT AUTH. WHEN I SUGGESTED THAT HE OBTAIN THE RADAR PLOTS AND AUDIO TAPES TO CONFIRM OUR RADIO CONTACTS, SQUAWK CODE, AND HDG/ALT INSTRUCTIONS, HE DECLINED. APPARENTLY, DESPITE RELATIVELY LIGHT TFC, THE APCH AND TWR CTLRS BECAME SO DISTR BY COMPUTER AND TRAINING PROBS THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO KEEP TRACK OF INBOUND TFC AND KEEP UP WITH COM, AS WELL AS TA'S.

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.