Narrative:

We were at the OM. I switched to tower on my own since approach did not switch us and he was so busy, I couldn't break in. Upon switching, tower was trying to contact us. We were 2 mi behind traffic and tower told us to s-turn to the west. We s-turned and rejoined final. I expected landing clearance as soon as flight ahead cleared the runway. This didn't occur. I tried to confirm our landing clearance but tower control continually 'hogged' the frequency and I couldn't get in. He was not talking about unimportant things, but they were not essential enough to tie up the frequency. He was talking to the aircraft on the ground waiting to depart after our arrival. The runway was clear and we were essential 'out of radio contact' with tower due to controller's actions so we landed. I've noticed this problem with several controllers over the last few yrs. They fail to take a breath long enough to allow an aircraft, other than the one he calls, to get in. When controllers are in this 'mode,' I've noticed they forget or miss important, timely instructions or clrncs and aircraft are unable to get 'in' to clarify things.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DOES NOT RECEIVE HDOF TO TWR ON APCH, OR LNDG CLRNC AFTER HE CHANGES FREQ ON HIS OWN. COMPLAINS OF FREQ CONGESTION AND NONSTOP XMISSIONS BY TWR.

Narrative: WE WERE AT THE OM. I SWITCHED TO TWR ON MY OWN SINCE APCH DID NOT SWITCH US AND HE WAS SO BUSY, I COULDN'T BREAK IN. UPON SWITCHING, TWR WAS TRYING TO CONTACT US. WE WERE 2 MI BEHIND TFC AND TWR TOLD US TO S-TURN TO THE W. WE S-TURNED AND REJOINED FINAL. I EXPECTED LNDG CLRNC AS SOON AS FLT AHEAD CLRED THE RWY. THIS DIDN'T OCCUR. I TRIED TO CONFIRM OUR LNDG CLRNC BUT TWR CTL CONTINUALLY 'HOGGED' THE FREQ AND I COULDN'T GET IN. HE WAS NOT TALKING ABOUT UNIMPORTANT THINGS, BUT THEY WERE NOT ESSENTIAL ENOUGH TO TIE UP THE FREQ. HE WAS TALKING TO THE ACFT ON THE GND WAITING TO DEPART AFTER OUR ARR. THE RWY WAS CLR AND WE WERE ESSENTIAL 'OUT OF RADIO CONTACT' WITH TWR DUE TO CTLR'S ACTIONS SO WE LANDED. I'VE NOTICED THIS PROB WITH SEVERAL CTLRS OVER THE LAST FEW YRS. THEY FAIL TO TAKE A BREATH LONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW AN ACFT, OTHER THAN THE ONE HE CALLS, TO GET IN. WHEN CTLRS ARE IN THIS 'MODE,' I'VE NOTICED THEY FORGET OR MISS IMPORTANT, TIMELY INSTRUCTIONS OR CLRNCS AND ACFT ARE UNABLE TO GET 'IN' TO CLARIFY THINGS.

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.