Small aircraft cargo pilot expressed frustration with cle departure controller who verbally chastise...

Narrative:

I was flying on a revenue cargo flight. Talking to cle departure in the climb; cleared to maintain altitude on a vector course. Shortly thereafter; handed off to cle center. Cleared on course. Then I requested another altitude for a final cruise altitude; versus the altitude filed. Cle center approves unconditionally. Shortly thereafter; asked to contact cle approach again. Upon checking in; in the climb to my new altitude; I get verbally reprimanded by the approach controller. It appears the controller is unhappy with my request to change cruise altitude; and that I must do it before I takeoff next time. How will I know what cruise altitude I will need next flight. My decision was based on current in-flight conditions. Further I state that after having flown all over; I have never come across any rule; regulation; or anything of that nature; that prevents me from requesting changes to my flight plan; irregardless of the reason! Next; the approach controller becomes confrontational and advises me be aware 'of possible pilot deviation;' and that 'I will be submitting paperwork. I suggest you call the tower when you land.' I asked for his initials. He gives me the number and I acknowledge. He refused to give me his name or initials. I strongly feel that this controller created an unsafe flight condition by creating this unnecessary distraction and by harassing me. In addition; at the time this was going on; I was going through some light chop/light turbulence and a caution light came on. My attention to deal with the abnormal aircraft procedure (caution light; which I resolved anyway) as well as my ability/concentration to fly the aircraft; was compromised by this controller's reckless and careless intention to pick a fight. This created an unsafe flight condition for me; on top of an already very high workload situation. I am attempting to make contact with the facility (cle approach) manager to prevent such a situation from happening again. As well I will advise my chief pilot of these events. After discussing this incident with other cargo pilots I discovered that numerous pilots have had problems and events with the same controller; ranging from very minor things to serious ones; such as being threatened by him to be written up/reported; like me.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CARGO PLT EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH CLE DEP CTLR WHO VERBALLY CHASTISED THE RPTR FOR REQUESTING OTHER THAN FILED ALT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ON A REVENUE CARGO FLT. TALKING TO CLE DEP IN THE CLB; CLRED TO MAINTAIN ALT ON A VECTOR COURSE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; HANDED OFF TO CLE CTR. CLRED ON COURSE. THEN I REQUESTED ANOTHER ALT FOR A FINAL CRUISE ALT; VERSUS THE ALT FILED. CLE CTR APPROVES UNCONDITIONALLY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; ASKED TO CONTACT CLE APCH AGAIN. UPON CHKING IN; IN THE CLB TO MY NEW ALT; I GET VERBALLY REPRIMANDED BY THE APCH CTLR. IT APPEARS THE CTLR IS UNHAPPY WITH MY REQUEST TO CHANGE CRUISE ALT; AND THAT I MUST DO IT BEFORE I TKOF NEXT TIME. HOW WILL I KNOW WHAT CRUISE ALT I WILL NEED NEXT FLT. MY DECISION WAS BASED ON CURRENT INFLT CONDITIONS. FURTHER I STATE THAT AFTER HAVING FLOWN ALL OVER; I HAVE NEVER COME ACROSS ANY RULE; REGULATION; OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE; THAT PREVENTS ME FROM REQUESTING CHANGES TO MY FLT PLAN; IRREGARDLESS OF THE REASON! NEXT; THE APCH CTLR BECOMES CONFRONTATIONAL AND ADVISES ME BE AWARE 'OF POSSIBLE PLT DEVIATION;' AND THAT 'I WILL BE SUBMITTING PAPERWORK. I SUGGEST YOU CALL THE TWR WHEN YOU LAND.' I ASKED FOR HIS INITIALS. HE GIVES ME THE NUMBER AND I ACKNOWLEDGE. HE REFUSED TO GIVE ME HIS NAME OR INITIALS. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THIS CTLR CREATED AN UNSAFE FLT CONDITION BY CREATING THIS UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION AND BY HARASSING ME. IN ADDITION; AT THE TIME THIS WAS GOING ON; I WAS GOING THROUGH SOME LIGHT CHOP/LIGHT TURB AND A CAUTION LIGHT CAME ON. MY ATTENTION TO DEAL WITH THE ABNORMAL ACFT PROC (CAUTION LIGHT; WHICH I RESOLVED ANYWAY) AS WELL AS MY ABILITY/CONCENTRATION TO FLY THE ACFT; WAS COMPROMISED BY THIS CTLR'S RECKLESS AND CARELESS INTENTION TO PICK A FIGHT. THIS CREATED AN UNSAFE FLT CONDITION FOR ME; ON TOP OF AN ALREADY VERY HIGH WORKLOAD SIT. I AM ATTEMPTING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE FACILITY (CLE APCH) MANAGER TO PREVENT SUCH A SIT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. AS WELL I WILL ADVISE MY CHIEF PLT OF THESE EVENTS. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS INCIDENT WITH OTHER CARGO PLTS I DISCOVERED THAT NUMEROUS PLTS HAVE HAD PROBS AND EVENTS WITH THE SAME CTLR; RANGING FROM VERY MINOR THINGS TO SERIOUS ONES; SUCH AS BEING THREATENED BY HIM TO BE WRITTEN UP/RPTED; LIKE ME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Attributes
ACN	661228
Time
Date	200506
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Rain Turbulence
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4600 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	661228
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : turbulence other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Small aircraft cargo pilot expressed frustration with cle departure controller who verbally chastised the reporter for requesting other than filed altitude.