Narrative:

As usual, our night arrival into sdf was highlighted by many vectors. None of the vectors seemed out of the ordinary until we were vectored nearly overhead the airport of intended landing. As a crew, we commented about this. Our awareness was heightened when we were vectored into the lanes of arriving traffic head-on and given a descent. I know things look different on a radar screen, but the view out our front windscreen was now cause for concern. Landing lights from other arriving aircraft were many. A few vectors later we were on an intercept course for the localizer to runway 35R from the southeast. We were never cleared to intercept the localizer or cleared for the approach. As we were passing through the localizer to runway 35R, we attempted to contact approach control, but due to the volume of traffic we were unable. Not until we were passing through the extended centerline of runway 35L were we able to contact ATC. With another vector to intercept and an approach clearance, we completed the landing. On the ground, we requested and received a phone number to contact the ATC facility. I spoke with the supervisor on duty. Throughout our conversation, she kept saying we, the aircrew, made a mistake by not hearing the operating controller's instruction to intercept the localizer. I disagreed and she asked if I wanted her to listen to the tape. Certainly, I said. After some mins, she returned to say that the controller did not clear us to intercept the localizer, or for the approach. The supervisor continued to make excuses about the volume of traffic, and stepped on or missed clrncs by other aircraft. She also said that controllers would rather the aircraft not have TCASII, as it creates more problems than it helps.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC8 CREW VECTORED THROUGH LOC AND NOT GIVEN APCH CLRNC.

Narrative: AS USUAL, OUR NIGHT ARR INTO SDF WAS HIGHLIGHTED BY MANY VECTORS. NONE OF THE VECTORS SEEMED OUT OF THE ORDINARY UNTIL WE WERE VECTORED NEARLY OVERHEAD THE ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG. AS A CREW, WE COMMENTED ABOUT THIS. OUR AWARENESS WAS HEIGHTENED WHEN WE WERE VECTORED INTO THE LANES OF ARRIVING TFC HEAD-ON AND GIVEN A DSCNT. I KNOW THINGS LOOK DIFFERENT ON A RADAR SCREEN, BUT THE VIEW OUT OUR FRONT WINDSCREEN WAS NOW CAUSE FOR CONCERN. LNDG LIGHTS FROM OTHER ARRIVING ACFT WERE MANY. A FEW VECTORS LATER WE WERE ON AN INTERCEPT COURSE FOR THE LOC TO RWY 35R FROM THE SE. WE WERE NEVER CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE LOC OR CLRED FOR THE APCH. AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH THE LOC TO RWY 35R, WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APCH CTL, BUT DUE TO THE VOLUME OF TFC WE WERE UNABLE. NOT UNTIL WE WERE PASSING THROUGH THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 35L WERE WE ABLE TO CONTACT ATC. WITH ANOTHER VECTOR TO INTERCEPT AND AN APCH CLRNC, WE COMPLETED THE LNDG. ON THE GND, WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT THE ATC FACILITY. I SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR ON DUTY. THROUGHOUT OUR CONVERSATION, SHE KEPT SAYING WE, THE AIRCREW, MADE A MISTAKE BY NOT HEARING THE OPERATING CTLR'S INSTRUCTION TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. I DISAGREED AND SHE ASKED IF I WANTED HER TO LISTEN TO THE TAPE. CERTAINLY, I SAID. AFTER SOME MINS, SHE RETURNED TO SAY THAT THE CTLR DID NOT CLR US TO INTERCEPT THE LOC, OR FOR THE APCH. THE SUPVR CONTINUED TO MAKE EXCUSES ABOUT THE VOLUME OF TFC, AND STEPPED ON OR MISSED CLRNCS BY OTHER ACFT. SHE ALSO SAID THAT CTLRS WOULD RATHER THE ACFT NOT HAVE TCASII, AS IT CREATES MORE PROBS THAN IT HELPS.

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.