Narrative:

Normal takeoff from csg, destination orlando executive, cleared as filed. Unfamiliar copilot and having trouble with headset. We received new full route clearance from center. We reprogrammed vlr and made several level offs and power changes during climb. Autoplt altitude hold and pitch control not responding properly. Passenger comes forward to request change in destination airport. Center advises fly heading 090 degrees for traffic. Passenger asks where the coffee cups are. All this in a 5 min period. Copilot agrees that the last word was normal navigation via new routing. Wrong--that must have been for another aircraft. Center observes turn to south and prompts correcting back to heading 090 degrees for traffic with indication of concern for sep. Once again, any one of these demands would be of no consequence, but piled into such a short time frame puts the crew into the situation of trying to keep several balls in the air. Of great help would be a way of getting the routing that jacksonville wants relayed back through ZTL to columbus clearance delivery. The pilot picks a route blind, trying to envision how traffic is to be rted. There is little if any information available on normal routing from point a to point B. This information does exist, in the letters of agreement between ATC facs and in those facs' SOP for complying with the agreements. Pilots need a way of determining what may be expected in the routing of a flight, and having that either confirmed or changed in the initial clearance copied on the ground. The 'cleared as filed' should mean that the pilot has guessed correctly and that his navigation equipment is programmed for their route that will be flown, not that 'cleared as filed' is just good enough for the moment. We'll change it later. This is critical when departing into a situation where several control and communication handoffs can be expected in a short time frame. The same principle applies to the current practice of ATC wanting unanticipated premature dscnts for arriving aircraft. In a turbojet aircraft this can create a concern for fuel planning that can easily become critical with extensive maneuvering/cruising at low altitudes. In one instance I was required to descend to FL240 360 NM from the destination airport. This is neither safe nor expeditious! Let's make these silent clrncs a little more vocal!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CGA SMT ACCEPTED CLRNC INTENDED FOR ANOTHER ACFT AND DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED ROUTING.

Narrative: NORMAL TKOF FROM CSG, DEST ORLANDO EXECUTIVE, CLRED AS FILED. UNFAMILIAR COPLT AND HAVING TROUBLE WITH HEADSET. WE RECEIVED NEW FULL RTE CLRNC FROM CENTER. WE REPROGRAMMED VLR AND MADE SEVERAL LEVEL OFFS AND PWR CHANGES DURING CLB. AUTOPLT ALT HOLD AND PITCH CTL NOT RESPONDING PROPERLY. PAX COMES FORWARD TO REQUEST CHANGE IN DEST ARPT. CENTER ADVISES FLY HDG 090 DEGS FOR TFC. PAX ASKS WHERE THE COFFEE CUPS ARE. ALL THIS IN A 5 MIN PERIOD. COPLT AGREES THAT THE LAST WORD WAS NORMAL NAV VIA NEW ROUTING. WRONG--THAT MUST HAVE BEEN FOR ANOTHER ACFT. CENTER OBSERVES TURN TO S AND PROMPTS CORRECTING BACK TO HDG 090 DEGS FOR TFC WITH INDICATION OF CONCERN FOR SEP. ONCE AGAIN, ANY ONE OF THESE DEMANDS WOULD BE OF NO CONSEQUENCE, BUT PILED INTO SUCH A SHORT TIME FRAME PUTS THE CREW INTO THE SITUATION OF TRYING TO KEEP SEVERAL BALLS IN THE AIR. OF GREAT HELP WOULD BE A WAY OF GETTING THE ROUTING THAT JACKSONVILLE WANTS RELAYED BACK THROUGH ZTL TO COLUMBUS CLRNC DELIVERY. THE PLT PICKS A RTE BLIND, TRYING TO ENVISION HOW TFC IS TO BE RTED. THERE IS LITTLE IF ANY INFO AVAILABLE ON NORMAL ROUTING FROM POINT A TO POINT B. THIS INFO DOES EXIST, IN THE LETTERS OF AGREEMENT BTWN ATC FACS AND IN THOSE FACS' SOP FOR COMPLYING WITH THE AGREEMENTS. PLTS NEED A WAY OF DETERMINING WHAT MAY BE EXPECTED IN THE ROUTING OF A FLT, AND HAVING THAT EITHER CONFIRMED OR CHANGED IN THE INITIAL CLRNC COPIED ON THE GND. THE 'CLRED AS FILED' SHOULD MEAN THAT THE PLT HAS GUESSED CORRECTLY AND THAT HIS NAV EQUIP IS PROGRAMMED FOR THEIR RTE THAT WILL BE FLOWN, NOT THAT 'CLRED AS FILED' IS JUST GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE MOMENT. WE'LL CHANGE IT LATER. THIS IS CRITICAL WHEN DEPARTING INTO A SITUATION WHERE SEVERAL CTL AND COM HDOFS CAN BE EXPECTED IN A SHORT TIME FRAME. THE SAME PRINCIPLE APPLIES TO THE CURRENT PRACTICE OF ATC WANTING UNANTICIPATED PREMATURE DSCNTS FOR ARRIVING ACFT. IN A TURBOJET ACFT THIS CAN CREATE A CONCERN FOR FUEL PLANNING THAT CAN EASILY BECOME CRITICAL WITH EXTENSIVE MANEUVERING/CRUISING AT LOW ALTS. IN ONE INSTANCE I WAS REQUIRED TO DSND TO FL240 360 NM FROM THE DEST ARPT. THIS IS NEITHER SAFE NOR EXPEDITIOUS! LET'S MAKE THESE SILENT CLRNCS A LITTLE MORE VOCAL!

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.