Narrative:

Approaching dfw from the west we were cleared direct jen and JEN3. Heard aircraft ahead told to prepare for JUMBO1. We got JUMBO1 ready also and sure enough were cleared direct jen direct knead and JUMBO1. Reprogrammed FMS. Then for spacing given heading 120 degrees. We anticipated intercepting the cve 213 degree on this heading as the previous aircraft was cleared. We are all set for it with raw data back up, but the next clearance blew us away. Cleared heading 010 degrees to intercept the jen 039 degree and remainder JEN3, cross abeam jen at 11000 ft, comply with restrs, etc, jen is about 7 O'clock, position, 3-4 mi. The first thing out the window is automation and VNAV protection. The second thing out the window is traffic scan. One guy is trying to make a 110 degree turn to intercept the radial he can't see and do a slam dunk to 11000 ft with the boards and compute if we can make crossing restr. Other guy has charts flying to set up raw data for JEN3, tune and identify NAVAID. My transmission upon receiving this last min change was not kind. It quickly became apparent that with a strong northwest wind, 250 KTS and turning radius the 010 degrees would be a bogus vector to comply and that we are not going to make the crossing restr. We were promptly given a frequency handoff and an abrupt, sorry, now new controller expects us to come over on a valid intercept for the arrival, which we aren't, and make altitude restr, which we can't, and wonders why we are so behind the arrival. We hustle to make everything and land uneventful. The cornerpost controller who must have been under training or if not, should have been has no concept of how what seems a small change to him is a complex event to us in today's highly automated aircraft. Reprogramming a new arrival while doing a pirouette over the anchor point is very time consuming and work intensive. I must assume that this is all driven to set up a neat line of aircraft dots over the cornerpost, but to us it seems unnecessary since the first thing the new controller does is to give us a vector to airport. It is unsafe to the 200 people aboard since traffic watch is derogated in a high density environment. And it is unacceptable and unprofessional to the customer that approach control is serving. This is not an isolated event approaching dfw cornerposts and needs to be strongly addressed before we hurt someone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 ACFT ON ARR RECEIVES MULTIPLE CLRNCS REQUIRING CONTINUOUS MANEUVERING AND REPROGRAMMING FMS PLUS ALT RESTR VERY CLOSE TO ACFT POS.

Narrative: APCHING DFW FROM THE W WE WERE CLRED DIRECT JEN AND JEN3. HEARD ACFT AHEAD TOLD TO PREPARE FOR JUMBO1. WE GOT JUMBO1 READY ALSO AND SURE ENOUGH WERE CLRED DIRECT JEN DIRECT KNEAD AND JUMBO1. REPROGRAMMED FMS. THEN FOR SPACING GIVEN HDG 120 DEGS. WE ANTICIPATED INTERCEPTING THE CVE 213 DEG ON THIS HEADING AS THE PREVIOUS ACFT WAS CLRED. WE ARE ALL SET FOR IT WITH RAW DATA BACK UP, BUT THE NEXT CLRNC BLEW US AWAY. CLRED HDG 010 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE JEN 039 DEG AND REMAINDER JEN3, CROSS ABEAM JEN AT 11000 FT, COMPLY WITH RESTRS, ETC, JEN IS ABOUT 7 O'CLOCK, POS, 3-4 MI. THE FIRST THING OUT THE WINDOW IS AUTOMATION AND VNAV PROTECTION. THE SECOND THING OUT THE WINDOW IS TFC SCAN. ONE GUY IS TRYING TO MAKE A 110 DEG TURN TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL HE CAN'T SEE AND DO A SLAM DUNK TO 11000 FT WITH THE BOARDS AND COMPUTE IF WE CAN MAKE XING RESTR. OTHER GUY HAS CHARTS FLYING TO SET UP RAW DATA FOR JEN3, TUNE AND IDENT NAVAID. MY XMISSION UPON RECEIVING THIS LAST MIN CHANGE WAS NOT KIND. IT QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT THAT WITH A STRONG NW WIND, 250 KTS AND TURNING RADIUS THE 010 DEGS WOULD BE A BOGUS VECTOR TO COMPLY AND THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE XING RESTR. WE WERE PROMPTLY GIVEN A FREQ HDOF AND AN ABRUPT, SORRY, NOW NEW CTLR EXPECTS US TO COME OVER ON A VALID INTERCEPT FOR THE ARR, WHICH WE AREN'T, AND MAKE ALT RESTR, WHICH WE CAN'T, AND WONDERS WHY WE ARE SO BEHIND THE ARR. WE HUSTLE TO MAKE EVERYTHING AND LAND UNEVENTFUL. THE CORNERPOST CTLR WHO MUST HAVE BEEN UNDER TRAINING OR IF NOT, SHOULD HAVE BEEN HAS NO CONCEPT OF HOW WHAT SEEMS A SMALL CHANGE TO HIM IS A COMPLEX EVENT TO US IN TODAY'S HIGHLY AUTOMATED ACFT. REPROGRAMMING A NEW ARR WHILE DOING A PIROUETTE OVER THE ANCHOR POINT IS VERY TIME CONSUMING AND WORK INTENSIVE. I MUST ASSUME THAT THIS IS ALL DRIVEN TO SET UP A NEAT LINE OF ACFT DOTS OVER THE CORNERPOST, BUT TO US IT SEEMS UNNECESSARY SINCE THE FIRST THING THE NEW CTLR DOES IS TO GIVE US A VECTOR TO ARPT. IT IS UNSAFE TO THE 200 PEOPLE ABOARD SINCE TFC WATCH IS DEROGATED IN A HIGH DENSITY ENVIRONMENT. AND IT IS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNPROFESSIONAL TO THE CUSTOMER THAT APCH CTL IS SERVING. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT APCHING DFW CORNERPOSTS AND NEEDS TO BE STRONGLY ADDRESSED BEFORE WE HURT SOMEONE.

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.