Narrative:

While at cruise altitude; the autoplt kicked off as the yaw damper broke; I guess. The flight guidance panel also failed and went into some sort of default settings. This was a big distraction! We did the checklist and everything ok. Sat the flight attendants down/seat belt sign on; coordinated with dispatch desk and maintenance; etc. Diverted to ZZZ. We coordinated with ATC up at FL320 for both lower altitude; slower speed; emergency status; sob; fob; etc; and the arrival into ZZZ. Keep it simple; send us over to the west side to stay out of everyone's hair since we had to do things manually and back up all sorts of stuff. All was; for the most part ok until we got closer in to ZZZ. It seems the closer we got the more complicated everything became. We had to endlessly repeat to each new controller our problem. Approach control at this time was zero help. As a matter of fact it was like pulling teeth to get them to understand that it was runway 18R we wanted; that we were an emergency; but that no engines were shut down; every controller got no information from the previous one. (It would help everyone out if it was taken care of.) there was a time when declaring an emergency with ATC would help you out. So there we were: in the WX; doing everything manually; running both normal and abnormal checklists; trying to make sure all the things are covered as they should be; and then we got to cover for the approach controllers. Not good/not safe. I lost track of how many times I told them we're an emergency for a reason other than a shut down engine; that we set up for and wanted to get out of everyone's way by going to runway 18R. This is not the first time that ZZZ and the local ATC folks make simple stuff very difficult.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT DESCRIBED EMER DIVERT INCIDENT WHEN ATC FAILED TO RELAY ACFT STATUS INFO REQUIRING INFO REPEATS DURING BUSY FLT DUTIES.

Narrative: WHILE AT CRUISE ALT; THE AUTOPLT KICKED OFF AS THE YAW DAMPER BROKE; I GUESS. THE FLT GUIDANCE PANEL ALSO FAILED AND WENT INTO SOME SORT OF DEFAULT SETTINGS. THIS WAS A BIG DISTR! WE DID THE CHKLIST AND EVERYTHING OK. SAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS DOWN/SEAT BELT SIGN ON; COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH DESK AND MAINT; ETC. DIVERTED TO ZZZ. WE COORDINATED WITH ATC UP AT FL320 FOR BOTH LOWER ALT; SLOWER SPD; EMER STATUS; SOB; FOB; ETC; AND THE ARR INTO ZZZ. KEEP IT SIMPLE; SEND US OVER TO THE W SIDE TO STAY OUT OF EVERYONE'S HAIR SINCE WE HAD TO DO THINGS MANUALLY AND BACK UP ALL SORTS OF STUFF. ALL WAS; FOR THE MOST PART OK UNTIL WE GOT CLOSER IN TO ZZZ. IT SEEMS THE CLOSER WE GOT THE MORE COMPLICATED EVERYTHING BECAME. WE HAD TO ENDLESSLY REPEAT TO EACH NEW CTLR OUR PROB. APCH CTL AT THIS TIME WAS ZERO HELP. AS A MATTER OF FACT IT WAS LIKE PULLING TEETH TO GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS RWY 18R WE WANTED; THAT WE WERE AN EMER; BUT THAT NO ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN; EVERY CTLR GOT NO INFO FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE. (IT WOULD HELP EVERYONE OUT IF IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF.) THERE WAS A TIME WHEN DECLARING AN EMER WITH ATC WOULD HELP YOU OUT. SO THERE WE WERE: IN THE WX; DOING EVERYTHING MANUALLY; RUNNING BOTH NORMAL AND ABNORMAL CHKLISTS; TRYING TO MAKE SURE ALL THE THINGS ARE COVERED AS THEY SHOULD BE; AND THEN WE GOT TO COVER FOR THE APCH CTLRS. NOT GOOD/NOT SAFE. I LOST TRACK OF HOW MANY TIMES I TOLD THEM WE'RE AN EMER FOR A REASON OTHER THAN A SHUT DOWN ENG; THAT WE SET UP FOR AND WANTED TO GET OUT OF EVERYONE'S WAY BY GOING TO RWY 18R. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT ZZZ AND THE LCL ATC FOLKS MAKE SIMPLE STUFF VERY DIFFICULT.

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.