ACR CAPT RPTS ARTCC CONFUSION AS ACFT ARE HOLDING AT CCE FOR ARR INTO MIA. HE SUSPECTS LTSS WITH OTHER ACFT THOUGHT TO BE IN THE PATTERN. SEE ACN #191235.

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I WAS THE CAPT ON ACR X; BOS TO MIA. WE WERE HOLDING AT THE PUBLISHED PATTERN AT CCE ON THE COLLIER 2 ARR INTO MIA AT FL260. THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT XX00Z. WE HAD ENTERED HOLDING AT FL240; THEN GIVEN A CLB TO FL250; THEN LATER; TO FL260. DURING THIS TIME THE CTLR WAS GIVING AN EFC TO ALL ACFT IN THE PATTERN OF XX05Z. I THOUGHT THIS WAS RATHER STRANGE AS I HAD ALWAYS OBSERVED EACH ACFT RECEIVING AN INDIVIDUAL TIME. AS WE WERE INBOUND ON HOLDING (10 MI LEGS OVER THE VOR) THE CTLR ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC TO AN ACR Y FLT TO FL250. I THOUGHT THIS STRANGE AS WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NEXT TO FL250. I ASKED THE CTLR IF HE WAS HANDLING ANY OTHER HOLDING PATTERNS. HE SAID NO. NOW; AS WE WERE HDG OUTBOUND (W) I TOLD HIM WE WERE AT FL260 AND WOULDN'T WE BE NEXT TO FL250. AFTER A BRIEF PAUSE; ANOTHER VOICE CAME OVER THE RADIO TELLING US TO TURN IMMEDIATELY TO A HDG OF 180 (S AND AWAY FROM THE HOLDING PATTERN). WE HELD THIS HDG FOR ABOUT 1 MIN; THEN WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 270; PARALLEL TO THE OUTBOUND LEG OF THE PATTERN FOR ABOUT 2 MINS; THEN WERE GIVEN A TURN TO 360; THEN A TURN TO JOIN THE INBOUND LEG OF THE PATTERN OF THE VOR. IN MY OPINION; THE CTLR DSNDED THE ACR Y THROUGH OUR ALT BLOCK. AS THEY WERE ONLY 10 MI LEGS; WE MOST LIKELY WERE VERY CLOSE AS THE VECTOR AWAY FROM THE PATTERN. THE CTLR NEVER MADE MENTION OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEAR MISS; HOWEVER; ANOTHER CTLR'S VOICE INDICATED SOMETHING WAS AMISS. EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T SEE ACFT; IT'S GOOD TO LISTEN UP ON THE RADIO AND MAKE A MENTAL PICTURE OF THE ACFT AROUND YOU; I.E.; HOLDING; ON APCH; ETC.