Light Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 70; Flight Crew Total 4200; Flight Crew Type 200
Time Pressure; Workload; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Procedure; Human Factors
Departed on IFR flight plan direct to CNM. Clearance was cleared to CNM runway heading 6;000 feet expect 220 in 10 min. Upon departure; we were cleared to CNM with climbs along the route. We were on with ZFW center and while on with center; we were going to fly an approach to get through the ceiling to land. The conditions at CNM were winds calms and ceilings were around 1500 AGL.  I had my First Officer (FO) ask ZFW if we could go direct to KEREY which is the IAF for the RNAV/GPS RWY21. This fix is also almost directly in line to CNM from our departure airport so it would be a straight in approach. We run the route almost on a weekly basis and it's a tossup if they will give it to us or not as ZAB actually controls the sector. This time they stated they will have to hand us off to ZAB here in a few miles and to make that request to them.  When that request was made; we were probably around 15-20 miles from KEREY. By the time they handed us off to ZAB; we were less than 10 and we immediately requested KEREY. The controller had us 'Stand by'! By the time he got back to us; we were less than 1 mile from KEREY and he stated that he had another aircraft conducting the ILS to RWY3. There was a quick exchange telling him that we can also set up for the ILS if that would be better for him and at that time he said; 'No; just hold at KEREY;' and gave us holding instructions. By the time he did this; KEREY was already behind us and our FMS had already sequenced us for RWY21. I then began a 180 degree turn and because there was no way to get to KEREY in such a short distance at the speed I was going; I elected to make an 'Educated' outbound that would put us parallel with KEREY and start our 2 min hold once parallel with the fix. After the first round and getting the FMS to recognize that we were wanting it to take us to KEREY; the controller gave us our instructions to fly the RNAV GPS RWY21 approach. We proceeded and everything from there was flawless. Here is where I perceive the problem lies. The handoff from ZFW to ZAB is too close to CNM. Many flights by the time we are handed off to ZAB and if it is a VFR day; we check in with ZAB and cancel IFR in the same breath. We also only have this problem coming from the East. Any other direction and there are no issues. I believe that the corrective action to solve this problem is that the handoff line needs to be pushed further east (and/or at a higher altitude) so that gives ZAB a chance to coordinate the aircraft that are coming into CNM. Contributing factors may have been that there was a higher than normal workload on both side; ZAB and ZFW.
Pilot reports of being handed off what they consider late to ZAB reference the close proximity of the airport they want to land at. Pilot requests direct a fix; but Controller cannot give it to them.  The Controller tells the pilot to hold when aircraft is 1 mile past initial hold fix. Pilot makes educated guess and turns aircraft around; then is cleared for approach.