Narrative:

We experienced a communications conflict with ZNY during climb. We departed teb direct ekn. We made a frequency change to ZNY and checked in with the controller. The frequency was extremely congested and airplanes and controller were constantly blocking each other's communications. The controller was overworked and apparently stressed. The ZNY controller asked us our speed. My first officer responded. I was unsure if she answered the controller's question accurately because my first officer and I disagreed on what the controller asked. She thought he asked for our current speed and I thought the controller asked for our speed at our final altitude. The controller then started giving other aircraft vectors and speed adjustments. I asked my first officer to verify his speed question so that we did not cause an unsafe conflict. She reverified the speed question with the controller. He rudely and abruptly replied, 'I don't have time for your questions!' we then proceeded to maintain extra vigilance for conflicts on both TCASII and visually. We were unsure of our clearance and the controller refused to clarify. This put us at an unsafe situation. About 10 mins later, the controller gave us a frequency change. My first officer responded appropriately and correctly to his request. As we were dialing the frequency into our radio, we heard the controller throwing a fit to respond with the call sign when responding and harshly telling us to respond again to the frequency change. Once again, my first officer appropriately and correctly responded to the controller's request, again she responded with our call sign and the frequency. As we were about to switch frequencys again, the controller angrily and harshly told us that we were not responding correctly. I then answered the controller's frequency request, again with our call sign and frequency and added the comment that my first officer did appropriately respond twice and she must have been blocked during the beginning of her call. He then once again yelled at us and again told us to respond correctly. I again responded with our call sign and frequency and told him that we don't have time for him and this argument. We were at a critical phase of climb and we could no longer waste our attention on this controller's rude, unprofessional behavior and games. We did make our frequency change without further incident. The airspace is way too congested in the new york area and radio congestion and blockage remains high. I did end up calling ZNY on the ground to report this controller and unsafe situation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZNY CTLR ARGUES WITH LJ31 FLC OVER CLRNC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

Narrative: WE EXPERIENCED A COMS CONFLICT WITH ZNY DURING CLB. WE DEPARTED TEB DIRECT EKN. WE MADE A FREQ CHANGE TO ZNY AND CHKED IN WITH THE CTLR. THE FREQ WAS EXTREMELY CONGESTED AND AIRPLANES AND CTLR WERE CONSTANTLY BLOCKING EACH OTHER'S COMS. THE CTLR WAS OVERWORKED AND APPARENTLY STRESSED. THE ZNY CTLR ASKED US OUR SPD. MY FO RESPONDED. I WAS UNSURE IF SHE ANSWERED THE CTLR'S QUESTION ACCURATELY BECAUSE MY FO AND I DISAGREED ON WHAT THE CTLR ASKED. SHE THOUGHT HE ASKED FOR OUR CURRENT SPD AND I THOUGHT THE CTLR ASKED FOR OUR SPD AT OUR FINAL ALT. THE CTLR THEN STARTED GIVING OTHER ACFT VECTORS AND SPD ADJUSTMENTS. I ASKED MY FO TO VERIFY HIS SPD QUESTION SO THAT WE DID NOT CAUSE AN UNSAFE CONFLICT. SHE REVERIFIED THE SPD QUESTION WITH THE CTLR. HE RUDELY AND ABRUPTLY REPLIED, 'I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR QUESTIONS!' WE THEN PROCEEDED TO MAINTAIN EXTRA VIGILANCE FOR CONFLICTS ON BOTH TCASII AND VISUALLY. WE WERE UNSURE OF OUR CLRNC AND THE CTLR REFUSED TO CLARIFY. THIS PUT US AT AN UNSAFE SIT. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER, THE CTLR GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. MY FO RESPONDED APPROPRIATELY AND CORRECTLY TO HIS REQUEST. AS WE WERE DIALING THE FREQ INTO OUR RADIO, WE HEARD THE CTLR THROWING A FIT TO RESPOND WITH THE CALL SIGN WHEN RESPONDING AND HARSHLY TELLING US TO RESPOND AGAIN TO THE FREQ CHANGE. ONCE AGAIN, MY FO APPROPRIATELY AND CORRECTLY RESPONDED TO THE CTLR'S REQUEST, AGAIN SHE RESPONDED WITH OUR CALL SIGN AND THE FREQ. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO SWITCH FREQS AGAIN, THE CTLR ANGRILY AND HARSHLY TOLD US THAT WE WERE NOT RESPONDING CORRECTLY. I THEN ANSWERED THE CTLR'S FREQ REQUEST, AGAIN WITH OUR CALL SIGN AND FREQ AND ADDED THE COMMENT THAT MY FO DID APPROPRIATELY RESPOND TWICE AND SHE MUST HAVE BEEN BLOCKED DURING THE BEGINNING OF HER CALL. HE THEN ONCE AGAIN YELLED AT US AND AGAIN TOLD US TO RESPOND CORRECTLY. I AGAIN RESPONDED WITH OUR CALL SIGN AND FREQ AND TOLD HIM THAT WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR HIM AND THIS ARGUMENT. WE WERE AT A CRITICAL PHASE OF CLB AND WE COULD NO LONGER WASTE OUR ATTN ON THIS CTLR'S RUDE, UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR AND GAMES. WE DID MAKE OUR FREQ CHANGE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE AIRSPACE IS WAY TOO CONGESTED IN THE NEW YORK AREA AND RADIO CONGESTION AND BLOCKAGE REMAINS HIGH. I DID END UP CALLING ZNY ON THE GND TO RPT THIS CTLR AND UNSAFE SIT.

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.