Narrative:

Frequency saturation -- unsafe situation! From our handoff to approach control from ZNY we had a hard time checking in. After listening a few mins we realized that the controller was handling all aircraft departing and arriving into the jfk airport area from tower control up to center control. I'm not sure if every evening is like this; but this was not a safe situation. The controller was so busy he issued clrncs to 4-5 aircraft in a row before anyone could respond. Aircraft stepped on each other's calls multiple times making the situation even worse. We were reclred to 13000 ft while descending to our original 16000 ft clearance. It is an uncomfortable feeling to go below the original 16000 ft toward 13000 ft without being able to read back the clearance; but we couldn't get our call in. We heard an air carrier X departure airplane bust his assigned 6000 ft leveloff when the controller told him to stop his climb at 8000 ft. He then had the aircraft visually clear the other air carrier X that was at 8000 ft also. Another departure aircraft got his frequency handoff incorrect. The frequency was so busy it was difficult for fluent english speaking crew members to understand. A foreign flight was having difficulty understanding his clrncs. This is an international airport? I have never seen a frequency and controller this busy in my 22 yrs of flying. It was like being on ground control at ord during a peak departure bank except at least there you are on the ground only doing 5-15 KTS and you can always stop if you're not sure of a taxi clearance. I would recommend at least a separate departure and arrival controller/frequency with this volume of aircraft. I'm not sure the situation was even legal for a single controller to handle.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 ARR TO JFK EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FREQ SATURATION; SUSPECTING POSITION COMBINATIONS AS A CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: FREQ SATURATION -- UNSAFE SITUATION! FROM OUR HDOF TO APCH CTL FROM ZNY WE HAD A HARD TIME CHKING IN. AFTER LISTENING A FEW MINS WE REALIZED THAT THE CTLR WAS HANDLING ALL ACFT DEPARTING AND ARRIVING INTO THE JFK ARPT AREA FROM TWR CTL UP TO CTR CTL. I'M NOT SURE IF EVERY EVENING IS LIKE THIS; BUT THIS WAS NOT A SAFE SITUATION. THE CTLR WAS SO BUSY HE ISSUED CLRNCS TO 4-5 ACFT IN A ROW BEFORE ANYONE COULD RESPOND. ACFT STEPPED ON EACH OTHER'S CALLS MULTIPLE TIMES MAKING THE SITUATION EVEN WORSE. WE WERE RECLRED TO 13000 FT WHILE DSNDING TO OUR ORIGINAL 16000 FT CLRNC. IT IS AN UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING TO GO BELOW THE ORIGINAL 16000 FT TOWARD 13000 FT WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO READ BACK THE CLRNC; BUT WE COULDN'T GET OUR CALL IN. WE HEARD AN ACR X DEP AIRPLANE BUST HIS ASSIGNED 6000 FT LEVELOFF WHEN THE CTLR TOLD HIM TO STOP HIS CLB AT 8000 FT. HE THEN HAD THE ACFT VISUALLY CLR THE OTHER ACR X THAT WAS AT 8000 FT ALSO. ANOTHER DEP ACFT GOT HIS FREQ HDOF INCORRECT. THE FREQ WAS SO BUSY IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR FLUENT ENGLISH SPEAKING CREW MEMBERS TO UNDERSTAND. A FOREIGN FLT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING HIS CLRNCS. THIS IS AN INTL ARPT? I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FREQ AND CTLR THIS BUSY IN MY 22 YRS OF FLYING. IT WAS LIKE BEING ON GND CTL AT ORD DURING A PEAK DEP BANK EXCEPT AT LEAST THERE YOU ARE ON THE GND ONLY DOING 5-15 KTS AND YOU CAN ALWAYS STOP IF YOU'RE NOT SURE OF A TAXI CLRNC. I WOULD RECOMMEND AT LEAST A SEPARATE DEP AND ARR CTLR/FREQ WITH THIS VOLUME OF ACFT. I'M NOT SURE THE SITUATION WAS EVEN LEGAL FOR A SINGLE CTLR TO HANDLE.

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.