Narrative:

I am a pilot with the federal government. I have held this position for just under 19 yrs. I have been stationed in the southern california area for my entire career and have extensive experience operating government aircraft on official missions in the los angeles basin; including long beach. On the above date and time I had an encounter with one of the most unprofessional and dangerous tower controllers of my career. I was assigned to assist another pilot; in navigating from march air reserve base; moreno valley; ca; to the ports of long beach and los angeles. The mission was an official mission that began in the morning in san diego; ca. I was assigned to assist because this pilot is unfamiliar with the area and local procedures. On this mission; the route of flight took us through sli; los alamitos army reserve center; class D. We transitioned from east to west along the katella transition route with no problem. As we came abeam; and north of the tower; I requested a frequency change to lgb tower and the sli controller pointed out traffic that was ahead and turning base into runway 25L at lgb. I reported the traffic in sight and was given the frequency change. We needed to transition from east to west along the wardlow transition route. The tower has never specified which frequency controls this transition so it is not unusual to be directed to the other frequency upon initial call-up. When I switched to 119.4 and made my request; was immediately told to go to 120.5. I was not concerned because we still had time to get the clearance before entering the lgb class D airspace. I then switched to 120.5 and made my initial call. The controller was having a long and unnecessary conversation with a pilot who was in the pattern; delaying any reply to my call-up. I instructed the PF to slow down so as to not enter the airspace. The entry point is at the 605 freeway and wardlow street and we had to slow to almost a hover while the controller had his conversation. When he did respond; I made my request for an east to west wardlow transition at 1500 ft to which he cleared me. I then recognized that this may be the same controller who is usually unprofessional but he was not berating anyone at that time. This was soon to change. There was no aircraft in our vicinity and the tower controller had not pointed out any traffic to us; nor had he pointed out our aircraft to other traffic. I felt that it was safe to turn at that time. At the same time I advised the controller that we would be turning towards the port; in a southwest direction; and would be flying over the port for a short time and returning to land. The controller replied with a raised voice; sarcastic and angry; with a question as to whether we were turning. I was surprised and replied in the affirmative to which he began to berate me over the air on controled airspace and that there was an airplane on the upwind from runway 25L. We were not a factor for the other aircraft. This was incredibly unprofessional but it was not over. We then; with the controller's clearance; proceeded to the ports and in the process also received a clearance from torrance tower because a portion of the port of los angeles is in tor class D airspace. I advised that we were northwest of the airport; when I meant we were southwest. The controller; in my opinion; must have had our target on his radar BRITE display. I believe this because in the past; controllers from lgb have idented my aircraft at the location and altitude on many occasions. He used this mistake to further berate me and use up radio air time advising sarcastically that he was confused as to our real location. We crawled along at 500 ft MSL; which is approximately 200 ft AGL; attempting to get this controller to further the clearance to land and to comply with his instructions. I believe he purposefully refused to call me back. If this is not the case; then he is incompetent because he was well aware that we were on the way and he should have been able to see us as we were rapidly approaching runway 34R at low altitude. I finally got him to reply and he cleared us to land; cross runway 25L at 500 ft; and pass behind a cessna that was final. Again; I am aware that controllers have their own techniques; and have separation criteria; but this clearance put us in a bad position. The cessna was so far from the runway that it would put us past the east boundary of the airport to pass behind him at normal approach speeds; we had to slow; nearly to a hover; to comply with this command and; in fact; it would have been safer and expedient for us to just pass ahead of him. He could not have gotten to our position or altitude from his location without jato rockets. We would have been in a safer position had the controller not ignored my position report. As we passed behind the cessna; the PF asked if we could descend; to which I said yes; not remembering that the altitude restr was in effect. This was a major mistake on my part; and I am embarrassed to admit that by this time I was angry and confused as to how to keep this idiot controller from further impacting this flight. This gave the controller another chance to chime in and commanded us to climb back to 500 ft MSL and perform a 270 degree turn around the tower to landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI PLT DESCRIBED UNPROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE BY LGB CTLR DURING GOV MISSION.

Narrative: I AM A PLT WITH THE FEDERAL GOV. I HAVE HELD THIS POS FOR JUST UNDER 19 YRS. I HAVE BEEN STATIONED IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA FOR MY ENTIRE CAREER AND HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE OPERATING GOV ACFT ON OFFICIAL MISSIONS IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN; INCLUDING LONG BEACH. ON THE ABOVE DATE AND TIME I HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH ONE OF THE MOST UNPROFESSIONAL AND DANGEROUS TWR CTLRS OF MY CAREER. I WAS ASSIGNED TO ASSIST ANOTHER PLT; IN NAVING FROM MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE; MORENO VALLEY; CA; TO THE PORTS OF LONG BEACH AND LOS ANGELES. THE MISSION WAS AN OFFICIAL MISSION THAT BEGAN IN THE MORNING IN SAN DIEGO; CA. I WAS ASSIGNED TO ASSIST BECAUSE THIS PLT IS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND LCL PROCS. ON THIS MISSION; THE RTE OF FLT TOOK US THROUGH SLI; LOS ALAMITOS ARMY RESERVE CTR; CLASS D. WE TRANSITIONED FROM E TO W ALONG THE KATELLA TRANSITION RTE WITH NO PROB. AS WE CAME ABEAM; AND N OF THE TWR; I REQUESTED A FREQ CHANGE TO LGB TWR AND THE SLI CTLR POINTED OUT TFC THAT WAS AHEAD AND TURNING BASE INTO RWY 25L AT LGB. I RPTED THE TFC IN SIGHT AND WAS GIVEN THE FREQ CHANGE. WE NEEDED TO TRANSITION FROM E TO W ALONG THE WARDLOW TRANSITION RTE. THE TWR HAS NEVER SPECIFIED WHICH FREQ CTLS THIS TRANSITION SO IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO BE DIRECTED TO THE OTHER FREQ UPON INITIAL CALL-UP. WHEN I SWITCHED TO 119.4 AND MADE MY REQUEST; WAS IMMEDIATELY TOLD TO GO TO 120.5. I WAS NOT CONCERNED BECAUSE WE STILL HAD TIME TO GET THE CLRNC BEFORE ENTERING THE LGB CLASS D AIRSPACE. I THEN SWITCHED TO 120.5 AND MADE MY INITIAL CALL. THE CTLR WAS HAVING A LONG AND UNNECESSARY CONVERSATION WITH A PLT WHO WAS IN THE PATTERN; DELAYING ANY REPLY TO MY CALL-UP. I INSTRUCTED THE PF TO SLOW DOWN SO AS TO NOT ENTER THE AIRSPACE. THE ENTRY POINT IS AT THE 605 FREEWAY AND WARDLOW STREET AND WE HAD TO SLOW TO ALMOST A HOVER WHILE THE CTLR HAD HIS CONVERSATION. WHEN HE DID RESPOND; I MADE MY REQUEST FOR AN E TO W WARDLOW TRANSITION AT 1500 FT TO WHICH HE CLRED ME. I THEN RECOGNIZED THAT THIS MAY BE THE SAME CTLR WHO IS USUALLY UNPROFESSIONAL BUT HE WAS NOT BERATING ANYONE AT THAT TIME. THIS WAS SOON TO CHANGE. THERE WAS NO ACFT IN OUR VICINITY AND THE TWR CTLR HAD NOT POINTED OUT ANY TFC TO US; NOR HAD HE POINTED OUT OUR ACFT TO OTHER TFC. I FELT THAT IT WAS SAFE TO TURN AT THAT TIME. AT THE SAME TIME I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE WOULD BE TURNING TOWARDS THE PORT; IN A SW DIRECTION; AND WOULD BE FLYING OVER THE PORT FOR A SHORT TIME AND RETURNING TO LAND. THE CTLR REPLIED WITH A RAISED VOICE; SARCASTIC AND ANGRY; WITH A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER WE WERE TURNING. I WAS SURPRISED AND REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE TO WHICH HE BEGAN TO BERATE ME OVER THE AIR ON CTLED AIRSPACE AND THAT THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE ON THE UPWIND FROM RWY 25L. WE WERE NOT A FACTOR FOR THE OTHER ACFT. THIS WAS INCREDIBLY UNPROFESSIONAL BUT IT WAS NOT OVER. WE THEN; WITH THE CTLR'S CLRNC; PROCEEDED TO THE PORTS AND IN THE PROCESS ALSO RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM TORRANCE TWR BECAUSE A PORTION OF THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES IS IN TOR CLASS D AIRSPACE. I ADVISED THAT WE WERE NW OF THE ARPT; WHEN I MEANT WE WERE SW. THE CTLR; IN MY OPINION; MUST HAVE HAD OUR TARGET ON HIS RADAR BRITE DISPLAY. I BELIEVE THIS BECAUSE IN THE PAST; CTLRS FROM LGB HAVE IDENTED MY ACFT AT THE LOCATION AND ALT ON MANY OCCASIONS. HE USED THIS MISTAKE TO FURTHER BERATE ME AND USE UP RADIO AIR TIME ADVISING SARCASTICALLY THAT HE WAS CONFUSED AS TO OUR REAL LOCATION. WE CRAWLED ALONG AT 500 FT MSL; WHICH IS APPROX 200 FT AGL; ATTEMPTING TO GET THIS CTLR TO FURTHER THE CLRNC TO LAND AND TO COMPLY WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS. I BELIEVE HE PURPOSEFULLY REFUSED TO CALL ME BACK. IF THIS IS NOT THE CASE; THEN HE IS INCOMPETENT BECAUSE HE WAS WELL AWARE THAT WE WERE ON THE WAY AND HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE US AS WE WERE RAPIDLY APCHING RWY 34R AT LOW ALT. I FINALLY GOT HIM TO REPLY AND HE CLRED US TO LAND; CROSS RWY 25L AT 500 FT; AND PASS BEHIND A CESSNA THAT WAS FINAL. AGAIN; I AM AWARE THAT CTLRS HAVE THEIR OWN TECHNIQUES; AND HAVE SEPARATION CRITERIA; BUT THIS CLRNC PUT US IN A BAD POS. THE CESSNA WAS SO FAR FROM THE RWY THAT IT WOULD PUT US PAST THE E BOUNDARY OF THE ARPT TO PASS BEHIND HIM AT NORMAL APCH SPDS; WE HAD TO SLOW; NEARLY TO A HOVER; TO COMPLY WITH THIS COMMAND AND; IN FACT; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER AND EXPEDIENT FOR US TO JUST PASS AHEAD OF HIM. HE COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN TO OUR POS OR ALT FROM HIS LOCATION WITHOUT JATO ROCKETS. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A SAFER POS HAD THE CTLR NOT IGNORED MY POS RPT. AS WE PASSED BEHIND THE CESSNA; THE PF ASKED IF WE COULD DSND; TO WHICH I SAID YES; NOT REMEMBERING THAT THE ALT RESTR WAS IN EFFECT. THIS WAS A MAJOR MISTAKE ON MY PART; AND I AM EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT THAT BY THIS TIME I WAS ANGRY AND CONFUSED AS TO HOW TO KEEP THIS IDIOT CTLR FROM FURTHER IMPACTING THIS FLT. THIS GAVE THE CTLR ANOTHER CHANCE TO CHIME IN AND COMMANDED US TO CLB BACK TO 500 FT MSL AND PERFORM A 270 DEG TURN AROUND THE TWR TO LNDG.

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.