Narrative:

I heard a report of '2 mi in heavy rain.' I asked center if it was tus and they believed it was and switched us to approach control. The approach controller appeared very busy and started giving us vectors for the localizer DME back course runway 29R. I asked repeatedly what the WX and wind were and got no response. At one point, I believe he said that he only had ATIS WX. Other xmissions on the frequency told me that there was heavy rain at the airport and the wind was now 340 degrees at 15 KTS. I told my first officer to call my step-down altitudes (he had to stay on the VOR) and to keep track on where we were because of the high terrain around the field. The controller, who was working at least 4 other flts, gave us a 90 degree intercept and told us to slow to 150 KTS. When we shot through the localizer, he gave us another 90 degree intercept and told us we were cleared for the approach (we were also in tight). He would not respond to our requests for wind, WX, or possible cells and windshear on final approach. I commenced the approach and after encountering shear and moderate turbulence, and becoming unstabilized, I abandoned the approach at 1000 ft AGL. (I later heard that 4 others missed behind us.) on the straight-out missed approach heading, we encountered moderate turbulence. Because this heading was taking us into a red return on our radar, and ATC was not talking to us, we advised that we were coming left to avoid severe WX. Approach then vectored us in tight for another approach which we abandoned for not being set up. The first officer then tuned the other VHF radio to tower frequency to see what the field conditions and WX were. (We could not get any information from approach.) my first officer told ATC that we needed more of a straightaway and that he was clipping his xmissions. I told my crew to call out my sink rates and I would make 1 more try. If anything became unstabilized, I was diverting to phx. I again encountered moderate turbulence on approach, but barely stayed stabilized, breaking out at 800 ft and at visibility minimums to make a landing in heavy rain. I later called the supervisor at approach (which is located at davis-monthan AFB) and she said that the controller had 'lost it' and had been relieved. The controller did not appear to be capable of handling this situation, whether it be because of fatigue, inexperience, inadequate training, or a combination of all 3. I fault the facility for not relieving or assisting him sooner when it became apparent that he had 'lost the bubble.' my brand new (but extremely competent) first officer and a jump seating B727 captain assisted me in getting the information I needed to successfully complete this exciting flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR'S B727 MADE MULTIPLE APCHS AND GAR MISSED APCHS DUE TO CTLR CLOSE IN VECTORS WITH 90 DEG HDGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC DME BACK COURSE TO RWY 29R IN IMC CONDITIONS AND TURB.

Narrative: I HEARD A RPT OF '2 MI IN HVY RAIN.' I ASKED CTR IF IT WAS TUS AND THEY BELIEVED IT WAS AND SWITCHED US TO APCH CTL. THE APCH CTLR APPEARED VERY BUSY AND STARTED GIVING US VECTORS FOR THE LOC DME BACK COURSE RWY 29R. I ASKED REPEATEDLY WHAT THE WX AND WIND WERE AND GOT NO RESPONSE. AT ONE POINT, I BELIEVE HE SAID THAT HE ONLY HAD ATIS WX. OTHER XMISSIONS ON THE FREQ TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS HVY RAIN AT THE ARPT AND THE WIND WAS NOW 340 DEGS AT 15 KTS. I TOLD MY FO TO CALL MY STEP-DOWN ALTS (HE HAD TO STAY ON THE VOR) AND TO KEEP TRACK ON WHERE WE WERE BECAUSE OF THE HIGH TERRAIN AROUND THE FIELD. THE CTLR, WHO WAS WORKING AT LEAST 4 OTHER FLTS, GAVE US A 90 DEG INTERCEPT AND TOLD US TO SLOW TO 150 KTS. WHEN WE SHOT THROUGH THE LOC, HE GAVE US ANOTHER 90 DEG INTERCEPT AND TOLD US WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH (WE WERE ALSO IN TIGHT). HE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO OUR REQUESTS FOR WIND, WX, OR POSSIBLE CELLS AND WINDSHEAR ON FINAL APCH. I COMMENCED THE APCH AND AFTER ENCOUNTERING SHEAR AND MODERATE TURB, AND BECOMING UNSTABILIZED, I ABANDONED THE APCH AT 1000 FT AGL. (I LATER HEARD THAT 4 OTHERS MISSED BEHIND US.) ON THE STRAIGHT-OUT MISSED APCH HDG, WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB. BECAUSE THIS HDG WAS TAKING US INTO A RED RETURN ON OUR RADAR, AND ATC WAS NOT TALKING TO US, WE ADVISED THAT WE WERE COMING L TO AVOID SEVERE WX. APCH THEN VECTORED US IN TIGHT FOR ANOTHER APCH WHICH WE ABANDONED FOR NOT BEING SET UP. THE FO THEN TUNED THE OTHER VHF RADIO TO TWR FREQ TO SEE WHAT THE FIELD CONDITIONS AND WX WERE. (WE COULD NOT GET ANY INFO FROM APCH.) MY FO TOLD ATC THAT WE NEEDED MORE OF A STRAIGHTAWAY AND THAT HE WAS CLIPPING HIS XMISSIONS. I TOLD MY CREW TO CALL OUT MY SINK RATES AND I WOULD MAKE 1 MORE TRY. IF ANYTHING BECAME UNSTABILIZED, I WAS DIVERTING TO PHX. I AGAIN ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB ON APCH, BUT BARELY STAYED STABILIZED, BREAKING OUT AT 800 FT AND AT VISIBILITY MINIMUMS TO MAKE A LNDG IN HVY RAIN. I LATER CALLED THE SUPVR AT APCH (WHICH IS LOCATED AT DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB) AND SHE SAID THAT THE CTLR HAD 'LOST IT' AND HAD BEEN RELIEVED. THE CTLR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CAPABLE OF HANDLING THIS SIT, WHETHER IT BE BECAUSE OF FATIGUE, INEXPERIENCE, INADEQUATE TRAINING, OR A COMBINATION OF ALL 3. I FAULT THE FACILITY FOR NOT RELIEVING OR ASSISTING HIM SOONER WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE HAD 'LOST THE BUBBLE.' MY BRAND NEW (BUT EXTREMELY COMPETENT) FO AND A JUMP SEATING B727 CAPT ASSISTED ME IN GETTING THE INFO I NEEDED TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THIS EXCITING FLT.

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.