Narrative:

Aug/thu/01, at XA45Z my copilot and I departed gunnison, co, runway 6 VFR and intercepted the powder arrival during the climb to denver, co, (den). Out of 10000 ft, I called ZDV. My copilot was the PF and I was the PNF for the entire night. I worked the radios, checklists, set altimeters and the altitude alerter in the GPS. During the taxi out we heard ATC communicate with 2 aircraft, a beech 1900 air carrier, aircraft Y, was just checking in on 125.35 (ZDV) approximately 30 mi out, and an aircraft Z, beech jet west of the airport. The aircraft Z was given 15000 ft and a mileage distance to gunnison ATC asked the pilot to report it in sight. My copilot and I felt both aircraft would be no factor and felt it was safe to depart. The following is what transpired between ATC and our flight (aircraft X) to the best of my recollection. Note: the X's during the dialogue represents numbers I can't recall. Aircraft X ZDV aircraft X off of gunnison in a VFR climb out of 10000 ft we are able to maintaining our own terrain would like to pick up our IFR clearance to den. ATC, there was no response for some time. (Then I heard ATC clear air carrier Y out of 26000 ft for 16000 ft, he was inbound to guc. We were looking for him as we do every night) aircraft X I repeated my call asking for my clearance. ATC, aircraft X, cleared to den via powder 4 arrival climb VFR to 16000 ft climb and maintain 17000 ft report reaching 15000 ft squawk YYYY. Aircraft X, I repeated the clearance and said air carrier Y in sight (he had his landing lights on and was extremely easy to spot). ATC, aircraft X say altitude and distance from hbu. Aircraft X, I relayed my position and altitude. ATC, air carrier X traffic an aircraft Z beech jet 6 O'clock position, xx mi west blue mesa VOR inbound to gunnison. Say altitude and distance from gunnison. (This once again led me to believe the traffic was landing gunnison and would be no factor but I felt compelled to look anyway.) aircraft X, I relayed my current position and altitude, (approximately through 13500 ft) and advised I would be looking for the traffic. ATC, aircraft X, maintain 15000 ft. Aircraft X, I responded, but didn't receive a response from the controller. (The controller gave clrncs to several other aircraft. He was getting busy and giving confusing clrncs. Several pilots had to ask for a repeat.) ATC, air carrier X radar contact xx mi north of hbu say altitude. Aircraft X, level 15000 ft. ATC, you are squawking XXXX your code is YYYY recycle. Aircraft X, switching xponders let me know if you are getting YYYY. ATC, I have your code now climb and maintain 17000 ft. Aircraft Z beech jet 6 O'clock position, advise in sight. Aircraft X, climbing to 17000 ft, aircraft Z beech jet in sight (the beech jet was at my 7 O'clock position, approximately 2 mi and at the same altitude and overtaking our flight. I didn't hear a response from ATC). ATC, (after a long pause I hear him clear aircraft west flight to another frequency). Aircraft X, I repeated, aircraft Z in sight. (Now at 9 O'clock position, about 2 mi out and I didn't hear a response.) at this time I heard the aircraft Z beech jet say on the radio he had me in sight. (The aircraft Z jet was now at my 10 O'clock position and getting farther out. I didn't hear a response from the controller to the beech jet's call.) aircraft X, (by now the aircraft Z jet was well ahead of our aircraft, while still in sight it did not appear to be a factor). I said, aircraft Z in sight level 17000 ft. ATC, aircraft X say altitude. Aircraft X, I replied, level 17000 ft. ATC, I thought I assigned you 16000 ft. Aircraft X, sorry, I heard 17000 ft I am leaving 17000 ft now for 16000 ft. ATC, sorry for the confusion climb and maintain FL190. Aircraft X, it's ok, FL190. ATC, aircraft X contact ZDV 119.85. (A new controller's voice.) after departing gunnison and monitoring the frequency it became apparent the center had switched controllers during the time we arrived and departed gunnison. The new controller became increasingly busy. It seemed that the controller didn't have a firm grasp of the full picture. My copilot commented on his perception that the controller seemed fatigued and didn't have a firm grasp of the situation. Because of these perceptions as a flight crew we became more attentive to the communications. There were no challenges between myself and the copilot as to the altitude, distance, or routing of any other clrncs between us. This was the end ofour radio xmissions as best as I can remember.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SW4 CREW DEPARTED VFR AND COMPLAINED ABOUT CTLR HANDLING WITH OTHER TFC IN ZDV CLASS E.

Narrative: AUG/THU/01, AT XA45Z MY COPLT AND I DEPARTED GUNNISON, CO, RWY 6 VFR AND INTERCEPTED THE POWDER ARR DURING THE CLB TO DENVER, CO, (DEN). OUT OF 10000 FT, I CALLED ZDV. MY COPLT WAS THE PF AND I WAS THE PNF FOR THE ENTIRE NIGHT. I WORKED THE RADIOS, CHKLISTS, SET ALTIMETERS AND THE ALT ALERTER IN THE GPS. DURING THE TAXI OUT WE HEARD ATC COMMUNICATE WITH 2 ACFT, A BEECH 1900 ACR, ACFT Y, WAS JUST CHKING IN ON 125.35 (ZDV) APPROX 30 MI OUT, AND AN ACFT Z, BEECH JET W OF THE ARPT. THE ACFT Z WAS GIVEN 15000 FT AND A MILEAGE DISTANCE TO GUNNISON ATC ASKED THE PLT TO RPT IT IN SIGHT. MY COPLT AND I FELT BOTH ACFT WOULD BE NO FACTOR AND FELT IT WAS SAFE TO DEPART. THE FOLLOWING IS WHAT TRANSPIRED BTWN ATC AND OUR FLT (ACFT X) TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION. NOTE: THE X'S DURING THE DIALOGUE REPRESENTS NUMBERS I CAN'T RECALL. ACFT X ZDV ACFT X OFF OF GUNNISON IN A VFR CLBOUT OF 10000 FT WE ARE ABLE TO MAINTAINING OUR OWN TERRAIN WOULD LIKE TO PICK UP OUR IFR CLRNC TO DEN. ATC, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FOR SOME TIME. (THEN I HEARD ATC CLR ACR Y OUT OF 26000 FT FOR 16000 FT, HE WAS INBOUND TO GUC. WE WERE LOOKING FOR HIM AS WE DO EVERY NIGHT) ACFT X I REPEATED MY CALL ASKING FOR MY CLRNC. ATC, ACFT X, CLRED TO DEN VIA POWDER 4 ARR CLB VFR TO 16000 FT CLB AND MAINTAIN 17000 FT RPT REACHING 15000 FT SQUAWK YYYY. ACFT X, I REPEATED THE CLRNC AND SAID ACR Y IN SIGHT (HE HAD HIS LNDG LIGHTS ON AND WAS EXTREMELY EASY TO SPOT). ATC, ACFT X SAY ALT AND DISTANCE FROM HBU. ACFT X, I RELAYED MY POS AND ALT. ATC, ACR X TFC AN ACFT Z BEECH JET 6 O'CLOCK POS, XX MI W BLUE MESA VOR INBOUND TO GUNNISON. SAY ALT AND DISTANCE FROM GUNNISON. (THIS ONCE AGAIN LED ME TO BELIEVE THE TFC WAS LNDG GUNNISON AND WOULD BE NO FACTOR BUT I FELT COMPELLED TO LOOK ANYWAY.) ACFT X, I RELAYED MY CURRENT POS AND ALT, (APPROX THROUGH 13500 FT) AND ADVISED I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR THE TFC. ATC, ACFT X, MAINTAIN 15000 FT. ACFT X, I RESPONDED, BUT DIDN'T RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR. (THE CTLR GAVE CLRNCS TO SEVERAL OTHER ACFT. HE WAS GETTING BUSY AND GIVING CONFUSING CLRNCS. SEVERAL PLTS HAD TO ASK FOR A REPEAT.) ATC, ACR X RADAR CONTACT XX MI N OF HBU SAY ALT. ACFT X, LEVEL 15000 FT. ATC, YOU ARE SQUAWKING XXXX YOUR CODE IS YYYY RECYCLE. ACFT X, SWITCHING XPONDERS LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE GETTING YYYY. ATC, I HAVE YOUR CODE NOW CLB AND MAINTAIN 17000 FT. ACFT Z BEECH JET 6 O'CLOCK POS, ADVISE IN SIGHT. ACFT X, CLBING TO 17000 FT, ACFT Z BEECH JET IN SIGHT (THE BEECH JET WAS AT MY 7 O'CLOCK POS, APPROX 2 MI AND AT THE SAME ALT AND OVERTAKING OUR FLT. I DIDN'T HEAR A RESPONSE FROM ATC). ATC, (AFTER A LONG PAUSE I HEAR HIM CLR ACFT W FLT TO ANOTHER FREQ). ACFT X, I REPEATED, ACFT Z IN SIGHT. (NOW AT 9 O'CLOCK POS, ABOUT 2 MI OUT AND I DIDN'T HEAR A RESPONSE.) AT THIS TIME I HEARD THE ACFT Z BEECH JET SAY ON THE RADIO HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. (THE ACFT Z JET WAS NOW AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS AND GETTING FARTHER OUT. I DIDN'T HEAR A RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR TO THE BEECH JET'S CALL.) ACFT X, (BY NOW THE ACFT Z JET WAS WELL AHEAD OF OUR ACFT, WHILE STILL IN SIGHT IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A FACTOR). I SAID, ACFT Z IN SIGHT LEVEL 17000 FT. ATC, ACFT X SAY ALT. ACFT X, I REPLIED, LEVEL 17000 FT. ATC, I THOUGHT I ASSIGNED YOU 16000 FT. ACFT X, SORRY, I HEARD 17000 FT I AM LEAVING 17000 FT NOW FOR 16000 FT. ATC, SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION CLB AND MAINTAIN FL190. ACFT X, IT'S OK, FL190. ATC, ACFT X CONTACT ZDV 119.85. (A NEW CTLR'S VOICE.) AFTER DEPARTING GUNNISON AND MONITORING THE FREQ IT BECAME APPARENT THE CTR HAD SWITCHED CTLRS DURING THE TIME WE ARRIVED AND DEPARTED GUNNISON. THE NEW CTLR BECAME INCREASINGLY BUSY. IT SEEMED THAT THE CTLR DIDN'T HAVE A FIRM GRASP OF THE FULL PICTURE. MY COPLT COMMENTED ON HIS PERCEPTION THAT THE CTLR SEEMED FATIGUED AND DIDN'T HAVE A FIRM GRASP OF THE SIT. BECAUSE OF THESE PERCEPTIONS AS A FLC WE BECAME MORE ATTENTIVE TO THE COMS. THERE WERE NO CHALLENGES BTWN MYSELF AND THE COPLT AS TO THE ALT, DISTANCE, OR ROUTING OF ANY OTHER CLRNCS BTWN US. THIS WAS THE END OFOUR RADIO XMISSIONS AS BEST AS I CAN REMEMBER.

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.