Reporter states tower was too busy to maintain an orderly flow of traffic.

Attributes
ACN	445390
Time
Date	199907
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : sbp.ils
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sbp.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	ils localizer only : 11
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
ASRS Report	445390
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan and requested ILS runway 11 at sbp. ZLA cleared me for approach runway 11, circle to land runway 29. At OM instructed to contact sbp tower. Tower frequency was very busy and we were unable to make contact until approximately 2 mi inside OM. After contact was made with tower, tower was most concerned that we were inbound against his outbound traffic and had not called him, even though we could not make contact until then. Tower proceeded to spend the next 30 seconds talking to us about us being inbound against his outbound traffic. Then he gave us ambiguous instructions for circle to land. We clarified landing instructions and made safe uneventful landing. ZLA cleared us for approach. We were on an IFR flight plan. Tower admitted we were handed off to him. Tower admitted he was busy. If all these things were true, why didn't tower call us? He was the person dominating the frequency. Tower failed to maintain an orderly flow of traffic by not advising departures of our arrival and by not advising us of departures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR STATES TWR WAS TOO BUSY TO MAINTAIN AN ORDERLY FLOW OF TFC.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND REQUESTED ILS RWY 11 AT SBP. ZLA CLRED ME FOR APCH RWY 11, CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 29. AT OM INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT SBP TWR. TWR FREQ WAS VERY BUSY AND WE WERE UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT UNTIL APPROX 2 MI INSIDE OM. AFTER CONTACT WAS MADE WITH TWR, TWR WAS MOST CONCERNED THAT WE WERE INBOUND AGAINST HIS OUTBOUND TFC AND HAD NOT CALLED HIM, EVEN THOUGH WE COULD NOT MAKE CONTACT UNTIL THEN. TWR PROCEEDED TO SPEND THE NEXT 30 SECONDS TALKING TO US ABOUT US BEING INBOUND AGAINST HIS OUTBOUND TFC. THEN HE GAVE US AMBIGUOUS INSTRUCTIONS FOR CIRCLE TO LAND. WE CLARIFIED LNDG INSTRUCTIONS AND MADE SAFE UNEVENTFUL LNDG. ZLA CLRED US FOR APCH. WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. TWR ADMITTED WE WERE HANDED OFF TO HIM. TWR ADMITTED HE WAS BUSY. IF ALL THESE THINGS WERE TRUE, WHY DIDN'T TWR CALL US? HE WAS THE PERSON DOMINATING THE FREQ. TWR FAILED TO MAINTAIN AN ORDERLY FLOW OF TFC BY NOT ADVISING DEPS OF OUR ARR AND BY NOT ADVISING US OF DEPS.

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.