Air carrier widebody transport complains about workload and resulting communication problems with ZD...

Attributes
ACN	93128
Time
Date	198808
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 17500
ASRS Report	93128
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Frequency 133.52 of den ARTCC was literal chaos. It appeared that the center controller was on 2 frequencys, overwhelmed. Due to many overlapping conversations, relayed messages were necessary, some changeovers were missed and we could not acknowledge an ATC request, none of this created a major problem, however this communication chaos should not be permitted to occur. Clearly this poor controller was overloaded to a dangerous degree that degraded safety, could have created a serious mistake. It would only be our guess that center staffing around xaooz in den ARTCC was inadequate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB COMPLAINS ABOUT WORKLOAD AND RESULTING COM PROBLEMS WITH ZDV.

Narrative: FREQ 133.52 OF DEN ARTCC WAS LITERAL CHAOS. IT APPEARED THAT THE CTR CTLR WAS ON 2 FREQS, OVERWHELMED. DUE TO MANY OVERLAPPING CONVERSATIONS, RELAYED MESSAGES WERE NECESSARY, SOME CHANGEOVERS WERE MISSED AND WE COULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE AN ATC REQUEST, NONE OF THIS CREATED A MAJOR PROB, HOWEVER THIS COM CHAOS SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO OCCUR. CLRLY THIS POOR CTLR WAS OVERLOADED TO A DANGEROUS DEGREE THAT DEGRADED SAFETY, COULD HAVE CREATED A SERIOUS MISTAKE. IT WOULD ONLY BE OUR GUESS THAT CTR STAFFING AROUND XAOOZ IN DEN ARTCC WAS INADEQUATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.

Air carrier widebody transport complains about workload and resulting communication problems with ZDV.