Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan from pwm to mrb. I was cleared 'direct har to mrb direct at 8000 ft.' I received mrb WX from flight watch when I was east of harrisburg. The report was for ceilings 6000 ft, 4 mi, mist, winds variable. As I was approaching mrb, I was passed from ZDC to dulles approach and descended from 8000 ft to 6000 ft. I was approximately 10 mi from mrb when I xferred to dulles approach on 126.1. The controller was extremely busy and my instructions on initial contact were to hold east of burgy as published, 10 mi legs, left turns and the expected further clearance time. I was flying with low altitude maps and fortunately had my approach book for mrb open. I looked to the low altitude map for burgy and could not identify it. A quick scan of the approach plates was not fruitful. I had GPS approach capability and so I asked the controller to spell burgy. When I got it and placed it in my GPS, I was .7 mi from the fix and still had not idented it on a map. I asked the controller for the outbound course of the hold, which would have allowed me to enter the fix and set it up on my GPS. He responded with a revised clearance to fly 090 degree vectors to intercept the ILS. While on the 090 degree course I received another hold instruction, this time much faster, as he was busy. I was given a left course change to intercept the ILS and hold xx mi DME on the ILS, left turns, 10 mi DME legs and a further clearance time that I didn't get. I asked that he give me the clearance slower, which he did. With the ILS tuned, I realized that there was no DME on the ILS. I then asked the controller how he wanted me to identify the ILS, DME fix. At that point he gave me clearance 'direct mrb hold on my inbound course, left turns, 10 mi legs, could I do that?' I replied that I could comply and turned to mrb and started setting up a hold which would have been outbound at 052 degrees when I received vectors to intercept the ILS and proceeded to make a successful ILS approach and landing. It was not till I was on the ground that I was able to identify burgy. I have recently done extensive training in holding and had just completed a pilot proficiency program. I am proficient in setting up hold with my northstar M3. All I needed was a fix and an outbound course. It would have been no problem had I been given a fix that was on my route even with this short notice. There are so many intxns and they are on so many charts that it is imperative to give some guidance to the fix when asked. The workload factors on a single pilot in IFR conditions are high and having my head buried in charts looking for an intersection without guidance is unsafe. I chose to fly the plane and asked for help rather than bury my head in all the approach plates. I make every effort to assist ATC, particularly in busy airspace. They have a really tough job. Suggestions: 1) I am sure I could have been more familiar with all of the approachs to the airport and perhaps of the fixes in the area. Intxns are always tough to find if you are not familiar with the region or customs. 2) I could have been told to expect the ILS or when asked to hold on burgy and I requested outbound course, I could have been given the outbound course or told it was 10.5 mi out on the ILS. 3) I could have been given a hold at mrb since that was my last fix prior to 'direct.' 4) I could have been given vectors to the ILS with a hold at burgy as published, or even 'the martinsburg transition to the ILS hold at burgy as published 10 mi legs.' 5) I will contact my local controllers and see if there is something I have missed in my training that would help me to understand the DME instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PVT PLT HAS PROBS WITH IAD APCH CTLR IN IDENTING RECOGNIZABLE HOLDING FIXES SO HE COULD COMPLY WITH ATC'S HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS NEAR MRB, WV.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM PWM TO MRB. I WAS CLRED 'DIRECT HAR TO MRB DIRECT AT 8000 FT.' I RECEIVED MRB WX FROM FLT WATCH WHEN I WAS E OF HARRISBURG. THE RPT WAS FOR CEILINGS 6000 FT, 4 MI, MIST, WINDS VARIABLE. AS I WAS APCHING MRB, I WAS PASSED FROM ZDC TO DULLES APCH AND DSNDED FROM 8000 FT TO 6000 FT. I WAS APPROX 10 MI FROM MRB WHEN I XFERRED TO DULLES APCH ON 126.1. THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND MY INSTRUCTIONS ON INITIAL CONTACT WERE TO HOLD E OF BURGY AS PUBLISHED, 10 MI LEGS, L TURNS AND THE EXPECTED FURTHER CLRNC TIME. I WAS FLYING WITH LOW ALT MAPS AND FORTUNATELY HAD MY APCH BOOK FOR MRB OPEN. I LOOKED TO THE LOW ALT MAP FOR BURGY AND COULD NOT IDENT IT. A QUICK SCAN OF THE APCH PLATES WAS NOT FRUITFUL. I HAD GPS APCH CAPABILITY AND SO I ASKED THE CTLR TO SPELL BURGY. WHEN I GOT IT AND PLACED IT IN MY GPS, I WAS .7 MI FROM THE FIX AND STILL HAD NOT IDENTED IT ON A MAP. I ASKED THE CTLR FOR THE OUTBOUND COURSE OF THE HOLD, WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME TO ENTER THE FIX AND SET IT UP ON MY GPS. HE RESPONDED WITH A REVISED CLRNC TO FLY 090 DEG VECTORS TO INTERCEPT THE ILS. WHILE ON THE 090 DEG COURSE I RECEIVED ANOTHER HOLD INSTRUCTION, THIS TIME MUCH FASTER, AS HE WAS BUSY. I WAS GIVEN A L COURSE CHANGE TO INTERCEPT THE ILS AND HOLD XX MI DME ON THE ILS, L TURNS, 10 MI DME LEGS AND A FURTHER CLRNC TIME THAT I DIDN'T GET. I ASKED THAT HE GIVE ME THE CLRNC SLOWER, WHICH HE DID. WITH THE ILS TUNED, I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS NO DME ON THE ILS. I THEN ASKED THE CTLR HOW HE WANTED ME TO IDENT THE ILS, DME FIX. AT THAT POINT HE GAVE ME CLRNC 'DIRECT MRB HOLD ON MY INBOUND COURSE, L TURNS, 10 MI LEGS, COULD I DO THAT?' I REPLIED THAT I COULD COMPLY AND TURNED TO MRB AND STARTED SETTING UP A HOLD WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN OUTBOUND AT 052 DEGS WHEN I RECEIVED VECTORS TO INTERCEPT THE ILS AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL ILS APCH AND LNDG. IT WAS NOT TILL I WAS ON THE GND THAT I WAS ABLE TO IDENT BURGY. I HAVE RECENTLY DONE EXTENSIVE TRAINING IN HOLDING AND HAD JUST COMPLETED A PLT PROFICIENCY PROGRAM. I AM PROFICIENT IN SETTING UP HOLD WITH MY NORTHSTAR M3. ALL I NEEDED WAS A FIX AND AN OUTBOUND COURSE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROB HAD I BEEN GIVEN A FIX THAT WAS ON MY RTE EVEN WITH THIS SHORT NOTICE. THERE ARE SO MANY INTXNS AND THEY ARE ON SO MANY CHARTS THAT IT IS IMPERATIVE TO GIVE SOME GUIDANCE TO THE FIX WHEN ASKED. THE WORKLOAD FACTORS ON A SINGLE PLT IN IFR CONDITIONS ARE HIGH AND HAVING MY HEAD BURIED IN CHARTS LOOKING FOR AN INTXN WITHOUT GUIDANCE IS UNSAFE. I CHOSE TO FLY THE PLANE AND ASKED FOR HELP RATHER THAN BURY MY HEAD IN ALL THE APCH PLATES. I MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ASSIST ATC, PARTICULARLY IN BUSY AIRSPACE. THEY HAVE A REALLY TOUGH JOB. SUGGESTIONS: 1) I AM SURE I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE FAMILIAR WITH ALL OF THE APCHS TO THE ARPT AND PERHAPS OF THE FIXES IN THE AREA. INTXNS ARE ALWAYS TOUGH TO FIND IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE REGION OR CUSTOMS. 2) I COULD HAVE BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT THE ILS OR WHEN ASKED TO HOLD ON BURGY AND I REQUESTED OUTBOUND COURSE, I COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OUTBOUND COURSE OR TOLD IT WAS 10.5 MI OUT ON THE ILS. 3) I COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN A HOLD AT MRB SINCE THAT WAS MY LAST FIX PRIOR TO 'DIRECT.' 4) I COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN VECTORS TO THE ILS WITH A HOLD AT BURGY AS PUBLISHED, OR EVEN 'THE MARTINSBURG TRANSITION TO THE ILS HOLD AT BURGY AS PUBLISHED 10 MI LEGS.' 5) I WILL CONTACT MY LCL CTLRS AND SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING I HAVE MISSED IN MY TRAINING THAT WOULD HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND THE DME INSTRUCTIONS.

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.