Narrative:

From over anx VOR we were cleared direct to the mkc VOR, descend to 7000', depart the mkc VOR heading 360 degree for radar vectors ILS runway 19 mci. Numerous rain showers between our position and the air traffic area. These multiple buildups kansas city tops to 14-15,000'. My first officer was flying while I was working the radar and radios. The turn to 360 degree was started. When I looked up from the radar I noticed we were still 2.5 DME from the VORTAC approximately 45 degree into the turn. I remarked that he 'was cutting the turn a little skinny' (turning early). My first officer's reply was that he wanted to avoid the 12 O'clock buildup and give our passenger a smooth ride. I reminded him that we needed a clearance to deviate from our previous instructions. His remark was 'well we're within limits.' my reply 'that's not the point here, you need to inform approach what we're doing, or want to do, different from the clearance.' the head of the VOR bearing needle passed off our left wing tip. DME still showed 2 mi. As the needle passed off our left wing, the to/from indication passed to from. I estimate that our northbound track placed us between 2 to 2 1/2 mi east of what our track would have been, had the turn to the north been started after station passage. The approach controller called us north it and indicated it presented him with a problem. He said 'maybe something was lost in the translation but our clearance was to depart the mkc VOR heading 360 degree.' I apologized for the early turn. We were given a turn back to about 310 degree for correction. At the time we were told he had traffic our vicinity at 3000'/4000' and 2 aircraft at 6000'. One was a company aircraft off runway 09 and had been given climb clearance from 6000' thru our altitude. By happenstance I observed this aircraft, a company 2 mi ahead, 12:30-1 O'clock low and climbing out to the northeast. After landing, ground control requested I call the tower facility. I talked with watch supervisor. His initial comment was that I had given his controller a few gray hairs with the early turn as the controller had cleared traffic up thru our altitude since our track should have been behind (to the west) this traffic or past us. I recounted our situation in flight and the reason behind the leading turn. He said we were in navigation range but that their radar is marked with a north line from the mkc VORTAC and once traffic is east of this line, 6000' traffic off the mci SID is then cleared to climb. Such was the case here. I suggested/recommended to the watch supervisor that the TRACON coordinate the urgency for a revision of the STAR routing to reflect a published heading or course radial to track north of the VORTAC if it was that critical. The comment was also made that this happens frequently but in a VFR environment -- see, identify, and avoid. I submit that it should be treated IFR all the time except when the field is in sight for landing, not on a STAR route. He agreed and said that was already in the mill for revision. He was cordial, invited me over to the tower for a bad cup of coffee and some scope time. I accepted his invitation. My first officer has already been over to visit and discussion. I plan a visit this week. I recommend to our chief pilot we follow up on this with a word of caution to our pilots about the heading requirement and possible traffic conflict with even a small dedication of a clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LGT CLEARED FOR APCH OVER VOR, TURNED 2 MILES SHORT OF VOR TO AVOID TSTM, CAUSED NEAR CONFLICT. CTLR INTERVENED.

Narrative: FROM OVER ANX VOR WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO THE MKC VOR, DSND TO 7000', DEPART THE MKC VOR HDG 360 DEG FOR RADAR VECTORS ILS RWY 19 MCI. NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS BETWEEN OUR POSITION AND THE ATA. THESE MULTIPLE BUILDUPS KANSAS CITY TOPS TO 14-15,000'. MY F/O WAS FLYING WHILE I WAS WORKING THE RADAR AND RADIOS. THE TURN TO 360 DEG WAS STARTED. WHEN I LOOKED UP FROM THE RADAR I NOTICED WE WERE STILL 2.5 DME FROM THE VORTAC APPROX 45 DEG INTO THE TURN. I REMARKED THAT HE 'WAS CUTTING THE TURN A LITTLE SKINNY' (TURNING EARLY). MY F/O'S REPLY WAS THAT HE WANTED TO AVOID THE 12 O'CLOCK BUILDUP AND GIVE OUR PAX A SMOOTH RIDE. I REMINDED HIM THAT WE NEEDED A CLRNC TO DEVIATE FROM OUR PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS. HIS REMARK WAS 'WELL WE'RE WITHIN LIMITS.' MY REPLY 'THAT'S NOT THE POINT HERE, YOU NEED TO INFORM APCH WHAT WE'RE DOING, OR WANT TO DO, DIFFERENT FROM THE CLRNC.' THE HEAD OF THE VOR BEARING NEEDLE PASSED OFF OUR LEFT WING TIP. DME STILL SHOWED 2 MI. AS THE NEEDLE PASSED OFF OUR LEFT WING, THE TO/FROM INDICATION PASSED TO FROM. I ESTIMATE THAT OUR NBOUND TRACK PLACED US BETWEEN 2 TO 2 1/2 MI E OF WHAT OUR TRACK WOULD HAVE BEEN, HAD THE TURN TO THE N BEEN STARTED AFTER STATION PASSAGE. THE APCH CTLR CALLED US N IT AND INDICATED IT PRESENTED HIM WITH A PROBLEM. HE SAID 'MAYBE SOMETHING WAS LOST IN THE TRANSLATION BUT OUR CLRNC WAS TO DEPART THE MKC VOR HDG 360 DEG.' I APOLOGIZED FOR THE EARLY TURN. WE WERE GIVEN A TURN BACK TO ABOUT 310 DEG FOR CORRECTION. AT THE TIME WE WERE TOLD HE HAD TFC OUR VICINITY AT 3000'/4000' AND 2 ACFT AT 6000'. ONE WAS A COMPANY ACFT OFF RWY 09 AND HAD BEEN GIVEN CLIMB CLRNC FROM 6000' THRU OUR ALT. BY HAPPENSTANCE I OBSERVED THIS ACFT, A COMPANY 2 MI AHEAD, 12:30-1 O'CLOCK LOW AND CLIMBING OUT TO THE NE. AFTER LNDG, GND CTL REQUESTED I CALL THE TWR FAC. I TALKED WITH WATCH SUPVR. HIS INITIAL COMMENT WAS THAT I HAD GIVEN HIS CTLR A FEW GRAY HAIRS WITH THE EARLY TURN AS THE CTLR HAD CLRED TFC UP THRU OUR ALT SINCE OUR TRACK SHOULD HAVE BEEN BEHIND (TO THE WEST) THIS TFC OR PAST US. I RECOUNTED OUR SITUATION IN FLT AND THE REASON BEHIND THE LEADING TURN. HE SAID WE WERE IN NAVIGATION RANGE BUT THAT THEIR RADAR IS MARKED WITH A NORTH LINE FROM THE MKC VORTAC AND ONCE TFC IS E OF THIS LINE, 6000' TFC OFF THE MCI SID IS THEN CLRED TO CLIMB. SUCH WAS THE CASE HERE. I SUGGESTED/RECOMMENDED TO THE WATCH SUPVR THAT THE TRACON COORDINATE THE URGENCY FOR A REVISION OF THE STAR ROUTING TO REFLECT A PUBLISHED HDG OR COURSE RADIAL TO TRACK N OF THE VORTAC IF IT WAS THAT CRITICAL. THE COMMENT WAS ALSO MADE THAT THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY BUT IN A VFR ENVIRONMENT -- SEE, IDENTIFY, AND AVOID. I SUBMIT THAT IT SHOULD BE TREATED IFR ALL THE TIME EXCEPT WHEN THE FIELD IS IN SIGHT FOR LNDG, NOT ON A STAR ROUTE. HE AGREED AND SAID THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE MILL FOR REVISION. HE WAS CORDIAL, INVITED ME OVER TO THE TWR FOR A BAD CUP OF COFFEE AND SOME SCOPE TIME. I ACCEPTED HIS INVITATION. MY F/O HAS ALREADY BEEN OVER TO VISIT AND DISCUSSION. I PLAN A VISIT THIS WEEK. I RECOMMEND TO OUR CHIEF PLT WE FOLLOW UP ON THIS WITH A WORD OF CAUTION TO OUR PLTS ABOUT THE HDG REQUIREMENT AND POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT WITH EVEN A SMALL DEDICATION OF A CLRNC.

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.