Narrative:

I filed an IFR flight plan from palm beach county park airport to st pete-clearwater international airport via direct pahokee, V492 labeled VOR, and then to pie VOR on the field at st pete airport. My clearance was picked up in the air from palm beach departure as follows: 'aircraft X, cleared to st petersburg airport as filed, maintain 4000', departure heading 270 degrees,' (abnormal procedure for keeping northbound traffic clear of palm beach international 6 mi to the north). After proceeding west about 20 mi, I was handed off to ZMA and understood I was to proceed on flight plan. Therefore, I turned about 20 degrees right to proceed direct pahokee. After about 5 mi center instructed me to return to the 270 degree heading and advised that I should not have left the heading. A few mins later I was instructed to proceed direct labeled and resume my own navigation. Labeled is 35 mi west of the pahokee VOR. Although this incident did not cause a problem, it could have been more serious. In my previous experience, mostly departing the chicago TCA, a typical clearance would have been: 'november xyz cleared to the salina airport as filed, expect radar vectors to the bradford VOR, departure heading 240 degrees,' or, 'cleared as filed departure heading 240 degrees, expect direct bradford in 10 mins or in 20 mi.' this standard phrasing is explicit and alerts the pilot that progressive instructions will follow. In a situation where the pilot is in IFR conditions (which I was shortly after this incident), he or she would know how to proceed if radio contact was lost. In the situation where a specific heading is given with no further clearance indicated, this would not be the case.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT GIVEN HEADING BY TRACON SHIFTED OVER TO CENTER AND UNDERSTOOD PROCEED ON FLT PLAN. CENTER INTERVENED AND RETURNED PLT TO PREVIOUSLY GIVEN HEADING.

Narrative: I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM PALM BEACH COUNTY PARK ARPT TO ST PETE-CLEARWATER INTL ARPT VIA DIRECT PAHOKEE, V492 LABELED VOR, AND THEN TO PIE VOR ON THE FIELD AT ST PETE ARPT. MY CLRNC WAS PICKED UP IN THE AIR FROM PALM BEACH DEP AS FOLLOWS: 'ACFT X, CLRED TO ST PETERSBURG ARPT AS FILED, MAINTAIN 4000', DEP HDG 270 DEGS,' (ABNORMAL PROC FOR KEEPING NBOUND TFC CLR OF PALM BEACH INTL 6 MI TO THE N). AFTER PROCEEDING W ABOUT 20 MI, I WAS HANDED OFF TO ZMA AND UNDERSTOOD I WAS TO PROCEED ON FLT PLAN. THEREFORE, I TURNED ABOUT 20 DEGS RIGHT TO PROCEED DIRECT PAHOKEE. AFTER ABOUT 5 MI CENTER INSTRUCTED ME TO RETURN TO THE 270 DEG HDG AND ADVISED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE LEFT THE HDG. A FEW MINS LATER I WAS INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED DIRECT LABELED AND RESUME MY OWN NAV. LABELED IS 35 MI W OF THE PAHOKEE VOR. ALTHOUGH THIS INCIDENT DID NOT CAUSE A PROB, IT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SERIOUS. IN MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, MOSTLY DEPARTING THE CHICAGO TCA, A TYPICAL CLRNC WOULD HAVE BEEN: 'NOVEMBER XYZ CLRED TO THE SALINA ARPT AS FILED, EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO THE BRADFORD VOR, DEP HDG 240 DEGS,' OR, 'CLRED AS FILED DEP HDG 240 DEGS, EXPECT DIRECT BRADFORD IN 10 MINS OR IN 20 MI.' THIS STANDARD PHRASING IS EXPLICIT AND ALERTS THE PLT THAT PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS WILL FOLLOW. IN A SITUATION WHERE THE PLT IS IN IFR CONDITIONS (WHICH I WAS SHORTLY AFTER THIS INCIDENT), HE OR SHE WOULD KNOW HOW TO PROCEED IF RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST. IN THE SITUATION WHERE A SPECIFIC HDG IS GIVEN WITH NO FURTHER CLRNC INDICATED, THIS WOULD NOT BE THE CASE.

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.