A B737 crew on the oak pnx 3 arrival was cleared via the RNAV Z 29 but did not begin the approach at...

Attributes
ACN	1112994
Time
Date	201309
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	NCT.TRACON
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737 Next Generation Undifferentiated
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Descent
Route In Use	STAR PXN 3
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	First Officer
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 169
Person 2
Function	Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Narrative:

On approach to oak; we asked for the RNAV Z 29. ATC said they would check on the request. They told us then to descend on the pxn 3 arrival. They then asked if we were doing the bushy transition. Bushy is on the pxn 3 arrival prior to sunol so we said yes (no mention of any clearance on the RNAV Z 29). We then switched controllers and they again asked us if we were on the bushy transition. We said yes. They cleared us for the visual and we responded; 'are we cleared for the visual RNAV Z 29?' and then they said 'cleared RNAV Z 29.' at this point; we were past bushy and almost to sunol and they said; 'oh; I thought you were on the bushy transition' and we said; 'we were never really cleared the RNAV Z.' they said 'no problem' and they gave us a short vector for traffic and cleared us for the visual. ATC needed to clarify the approach instead of assuming. And; we needed to also clarify and ask when there are misunderstandings.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 crew on the OAK PNX 3 Arrival was cleared via the RNAV Z 29 but did not begin the approach at BUSHY because they did not believe that the BUSHY IAF should be termed a transition from the arrival.

Narrative: On approach to OAK; we asked for the RNAV Z 29. ATC said they would check on the request. They told us then to descend on the PXN 3 Arrival. They then asked if we were doing the BUSHY transition. BUSHY is on the PXN 3 Arrival prior to SUNOL so we said yes (no mention of any clearance on the RNAV Z 29). We then switched controllers and they again asked us if we were on the BUSHY transition. We said yes. They cleared us for the visual and we responded; 'Are we cleared for the visual RNAV Z 29?' and then they said 'Cleared RNAV Z 29.' At this point; we were past BUSHY and almost to SUNOL and they said; 'Oh; I thought you were on the BUSHY transition' and we said; 'We were never really cleared the RNAV Z.' They said 'no problem' and they gave us a short vector for traffic and cleared us for the visual. ATC needed to clarify the Approach instead of assuming. And; we needed to also clarify and ask when there are misunderstandings.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.

A B737 crew on the oak pnx 3 arrival was cleared via the RNAV Z 29 but did not begin the approach at bushy because they did not believe that the bushy IAF should be termed a transition from the arrival.