Narrative:

After being passed off from kingston center, I contacted manley to report coming inbound. In this nonradar environment, I gave our position report since I was the PNF. We were 'cleared to gudil, elser two arrival, savem transition, descend to 9000 ft, expect no delays.' aprox 19 mi from the mly VOR, we made our right turn to join the 17 DME arc. At my coplts request, I called manley and reported established on the DME arc and requested lower. I was ignored. Crossing the 320 radial I again requested lower. She answered me but did not give me a descent. Flying at 9000 ft we joined the 297 degree rad inbound (117 degree course to). I was still only cleared to gudil and had no expectance of a delay, holding, or approach clearance. The controller was busy with two aircraft on the ground giving clrncs for departure. I reported approaching gudil inbound at 9000 ft which is my clearance limit and did not call the airport insight. The controller instructed 'track southwest bound.' I asked if she wanted me to enter holding southwest of gudil and she said 'negative, track southwest bound.' I replied, 'I do not understand, can you explain?' she again said track southwest bound. I replied that we would turn to a heading of 240. She requested that I call crossing the 290 degree radial. Crossing the 290 degree rad I reported our position and that I was confused. I asked if we should intercept this radial and track out bound. She said no. We continued on a 240 degree heading and I made another call which she ignored. She then finally gave me a descent to 2000 ft and told me I had VFR traffic at 1500 ft. Agitated at this ambiguous report, I requested their position and the pilot gave me a location and DME. Thankfully they were no factor. I then asked the controller why I was heading away from the airport on a heading and not on a radial. She didn't reply. I called 22 DME and 2000 ft when she cleared me to enter a base for runway 12. I told her I didn't have the runway in sight. She then told me to enter a downwind for runway 12. She clearly had no idea where my position was. I was 22 mi southwest of the airport and heading away from it. I told her that was impossible. She then instructed me to report final. My first officer picked up a northeast heading until we picked up the 117 degree course to the airport. We reported the runway in sight and were cleared to lnd. We landed and while taxiing in I requested the phone number to the tower and the controllers operating initials. When I called the tower she refused to speak. The man representing her tried to explain to me that she was busy with two aircraft departing on runway 30 while I was inbound for runway 12. I wanted to know why she just didn't put us in holding or give me priority over departing aircraft. He would not really answer me. I still do not understand why I was not given clearer instructions, holding, or an explanation in the air. I clearly felt unsafe and that I was being controlled by someone who was incompetent for the job. I was also ignored many times. If three aircraft are too many to handle on one frequency then maybe manley should consider having a different frequency for approach, tower, and ground. I can say that I did learn one thing: to be more vigilant while at this airport since I can not depend on the controllers.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION DURING APCH TO KINGSTON.

Narrative: AFTER BEING PASSED OFF FROM KINGSTON CENTER, I CONTACTED MANLEY TO RPT COMING INBOUND. IN THIS NONRADAR ENVIRONMENT, I GAVE OUR POSITION RPT SINCE I WAS THE PNF. WE WERE 'CLEARED TO GUDIL, ELSER TWO ARRIVAL, SAVEM TRANSITION, DESCEND TO 9000 FT, EXPECT NO DELAYS.' APROX 19 MI FROM THE MLY VOR, WE MADE OUR RIGHT TURN TO JOIN THE 17 DME ARC. AT MY COPLTS REQUEST, I CALLED MANLEY AND RPTED ESTABLISHED ON THE DME ARC AND REQUESTED LOWER. I WAS IGNORED. CROSSING THE 320 RADIAL I AGAIN REQUESTED LOWER. SHE ANSWERED ME BUT DID NOT GIVE ME A DESCENT. FLYING AT 9000 FT WE JOINED THE 297 DEG RAD INBOUND (117 DEG COURSE TO). I WAS STILL ONLY CLEARED TO GUDIL AND HAD NO EXPECTANCE OF A DELAY, HOLDING, OR APCH CLRNC. THE CTLR WAS BUSY WITH TWO ACFT ON THE GND GIVING CLRNCS FOR DEP. I RPTED APCHING GUDIL INBOUND AT 9000 FT WHICH IS MY CLRNC LIMIT AND DID NOT CALL THE ARPT INSIGHT. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED 'TRACK SW BOUND.' I ASKED IF SHE WANTED ME TO ENTER HOLDING SW OF GUDIL AND SHE SAID 'NEGATIVE, TRACK SW BOUND.' I REPLIED, 'I DO NOT UNDERSTAND, CAN YOU EXPLAIN?' SHE AGAIN SAID TRACK SW BOUND. I REPLIED THAT WE WOULD TURN TO A HDG OF 240. SHE REQUESTED THAT I CALL CROSSING THE 290 DEG RADIAL. CROSSING THE 290 DEG RAD I RPTED OUR POSITION AND THAT I WAS CONFUSED. I ASKED IF WE SHOULD INTERCEPT THIS RADIAL AND TRACK OUT BOUND. SHE SAID NO. WE CONTINUED ON A 240 DEG HDG AND I MADE ANOTHER CALL WHICH SHE IGNORED. SHE THEN FINALLY GAVE ME A DESCENT TO 2000 FT AND TOLD ME I HAD VFR TFC AT 1500 FT. AGITATED AT THIS AMBIGUOUS RPT, I REQUESTED THEIR POSITION AND THE PLT GAVE ME A LOCATION AND DME. THANKFULLY THEY WERE NO FACTOR. I THEN ASKED THE CTLR WHY I WAS HDG AWAY FROM THE ARPT ON A HDG AND NOT ON A RADIAL. SHE DIDN'T REPLY. I CALLED 22 DME AND 2000 FT WHEN SHE CLEARED ME TO ENTER A BASE FOR RWY 12. I TOLD HER I DIDN'T HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT. SHE THEN TOLD ME TO ENTER A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 12. SHE CLEARLY HAD NO IDEA WHERE MY POSITION WAS. I WAS 22 MI SW OF THE ARPT AND HDG AWAY FROM IT. I TOLD HER THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE. SHE THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO REPORT FINAL. MY FO PICKED UP A NE HDG UNTIL WE PICKED UP THE 117 DEGREE COURSE TO THE ARPT. WE REPORTED THE RWY IN SIGHT AND WERE CLEARED TO LND. WE LANDED AND WHILE TAXIING IN I REQUESTED THE PHONE NUMBER TO THE TWR AND THE CTLRS OPERATING INITIALS. WHEN I CALLED THE TWR SHE REFUSED TO SPEAK. THE MAN REPRESENTING HER TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO ME THAT SHE WAS BUSY WITH TWO ACFT DEPARTING ON RWY 30 WHILE I WAS INBOUND FOR RWY 12. I WANTED TO KNOW WHY SHE JUST DIDN'T PUT US IN HOLDING OR GIVE ME PRIORITY OVER DEPARTING ACFT. HE WOULD NOT REALLY ANSWER ME. I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS NOT GIVEN CLEARER INSTRUCTIONS, HOLDING, OR AN EXPLANATION IN THE AIR. I CLEARLY FELT UNSAFE AND THAT I WAS BEING CONTROLLED BY SOMEONE WHO WAS INCOMPETENT FOR THE JOB. I WAS ALSO IGNORED MANY TIMES. IF THREE ACFT ARE TOO MANY TO HANDLE ON ONE FREQ THEN MAYBE MANLEY SHOULD CONSIDER HAVING A DIFFERENT FREQ FOR APCH, TWR, AND GND. I CAN SAY THAT I DID LEARN ONE THING: TO BE MORE VIGILANT WHILE AT THIS ARPT SINCE I CAN NOT DEPEND ON THE CTLRS.

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.