Narrative:

Enroute to hln on V21 while at 13;000 ft; salt lake center cleared us direct usobe (an initial fix on the localizer/DME back course C runway 09 approach). The controller could not pronounce or spell the fix. Nor could he provide the associated approach or a vector towards the fix. Initially he wasn't sure where it was; and mentioned that this was at helena approaches request. We could not find a fix that resembled what salt lake center had cleared us to; and informed him as such. Finally salt lake informed us it was on the localizer/DME back course C approach for runway 09. However this approach isn't in the FMS database and we weren't able to load the fix and verify it in a timely fashion. After the handoff to hln approach our position was further south that they wanted and we advised that we were not in a position to shoot the localizer/DME back course C approach. We requested vectors direct dookr for the ILS runway 27. Hln approach has no radar and could not provide vectors but cleared us direct dookr for the ILS 27. The rest of the flight was without incident. The event occurred in part because ATC cleared us to a fix that they couldn't spell; pronounce; or describe. By the time they and we figured out where it was; it was too late. This was due partly to poor communication on both sides. Also this occurred because it was not what we were expecting; and we got the clearance at very close range with little time to react. One more contributing factor is hln approaches lack of a radar. They are basically a useless approach control that only adds to the workload requiring constant position reports. We would have been better off getting an approach clearance from salt lake center 30 miles out. Another factor was that in retrospect I was more tired than I realized. It was day 4 and leg 18 of 19 on the 2nd of two nearly 14 hour duty days.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air Carrier inbound to HLN voiced concern regarding the approach controls lack of RADAR; the late transition from ZLC to HLN and procedures utilized by HLN ATC with regard to inbound procedures.

Narrative: Enroute to HLN on V21 while at 13;000 FT; Salt Lake Center cleared us direct USOBE (an initial fix on the LOC/DME Back Course C Runway 09 approach). The Controller could not pronounce or spell the fix. Nor could he provide the associated approach or a vector towards the fix. Initially he wasn't sure where it was; and mentioned that this was at Helena approaches request. We could not find a fix that resembled what Salt Lake Center had cleared us to; and informed him as such. Finally Salt Lake informed us it was on the LOC/DME Back Course C approach for Runway 09. However this approach isn't in the FMS database and we weren't able to load the fix and verify it in a timely fashion. After the handoff to HLN Approach our position was further south that they wanted and we advised that we were not in a position to shoot the LOC/DME Back Course C approach. We requested vectors direct DOOKR for the ILS Runway 27. HLN approach has no radar and could not provide vectors but cleared us direct DOOKR for the ILS 27. The rest of the flight was without incident. The event occurred in part because ATC cleared us to a fix that they couldn't spell; pronounce; or describe. By the time they and we figured out where it was; it was too late. This was due partly to poor communication on both sides. Also this occurred because it was not what we were expecting; and we got the clearance at very close range with little time to react. One more contributing factor is HLN approaches lack of a radar. They are basically a useless approach control that only adds to the workload requiring constant position reports. We would have been better off getting an approach clearance from Salt Lake Center 30 miles out. Another factor was that in retrospect I was more tired than I realized. It was day 4 and leg 18 of 19 on the 2nd of two nearly 14 hour duty days.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.