Narrative:

Flight was inbound to atl and was assigned a published holding pattern at rmg VOR, with 20 mi legs approved, 230 KTS holding IAS. First officer was flying and we were given numerous 1000 and 2000' incremental dscnts while in holding. Holding was northwest, right turn on the rmg 313 degree right. Winds above FL240 were strong and required outbnd headings of 280-290 degrees to maintain holding pattern integrity. Descending below FL240, it became apparent that further pattern adjustments were necessary since wind strength had decreased and/or wind direction had changed. On the inbound ldg (133 degree course) of our second turn in the holding pattern, we were 'cleared to atl, hartsfield airport, fly (or via) outbnd heading from rome' by ZTL. I read this clearance back as I understood it and with some emphasis on my readback wording. Although I was reasonably sure the controller meant for us to fly the 132 degree right from rmg, which is the continuation of the rome arrival (STAR) when departing holding at rome. I was uncomfortable with his use of 'heading' rather than 'radial' (as perceived by me). Unfortunately, I was concerned with obtaining ATIS information, assisting my first officer with re-establishing his inbound course to the holding fix (rmg) due to drastic wind changes, and my intentions for clarifying our clearance to the airport were somewhat stifled by frequency congestion (a large amount of holding traffic). Proceeding outbnd on the rmg 132 degree right/inbound atl 313 degree right, ZTL asked us our heading. I replied outbnd rome (on the arrival), whereupon the controller gave us an immediate right turn to 350 degrees. In the turn, he told us to continue the right turn to join the atl 313 degree right inbound to atl. No readback or hearback problems here, but this situation could probably be labeled an 'understand-back' problem. The controller understood his clearance to me and I understood his clearance to me, but they were different understandings. I 'understood' a clearance to the airport, but could not believe his intention of an outbnd heading was 180 degrees away from the airport. He meant outbnd heading in the holding pattern--probably would have turned or vectored us onto the arrival course from the outbnd holding heading. The controller erred by clearing us to the airport with an unclarified heading and I certainly should have increased my comfort level by requesting that clarification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR TECHNIQUE COM USED IMPROPER PHRASEOLOGY WHEN ISSUING CLRNC.

Narrative: FLT WAS INBND TO ATL AND WAS ASSIGNED A PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN AT RMG VOR, WITH 20 MI LEGS APPROVED, 230 KTS HOLDING IAS. F/O WAS FLYING AND WE WERE GIVEN NUMEROUS 1000 AND 2000' INCREMENTAL DSCNTS WHILE IN HOLDING. HOLDING WAS NW, RIGHT TURN ON THE RMG 313 DEG R. WINDS ABOVE FL240 WERE STRONG AND REQUIRED OUTBND HDGS OF 280-290 DEGS TO MAINTAIN HOLDING PATTERN INTEGRITY. DSNDING BELOW FL240, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT FURTHER PATTERN ADJUSTMENTS WERE NECESSARY SINCE WIND STRENGTH HAD DECREASED AND/OR WIND DIRECTION HAD CHANGED. ON THE INBND LDG (133 DEG COURSE) OF OUR SECOND TURN IN THE HOLDING PATTERN, WE WERE 'CLRED TO ATL, HARTSFIELD ARPT, FLY (OR VIA) OUTBND HDG FROM ROME' BY ZTL. I READ THIS CLRNC BACK AS I UNDERSTOOD IT AND WITH SOME EMPHASIS ON MY READBACK WORDING. ALTHOUGH I WAS REASONABLY SURE THE CTLR MEANT FOR US TO FLY THE 132 DEG R FROM RMG, WHICH IS THE CONTINUATION OF THE ROME ARR (STAR) WHEN DEPARTING HOLDING AT ROME. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIS USE OF 'HDG' RATHER THAN 'RADIAL' (AS PERCEIVED BY ME). UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS CONCERNED WITH OBTAINING ATIS INFO, ASSISTING MY F/O WITH RE-ESTABLISHING HIS INBND COURSE TO THE HOLDING FIX (RMG) DUE TO DRASTIC WIND CHANGES, AND MY INTENTIONS FOR CLARIFYING OUR CLRNC TO THE ARPT WERE SOMEWHAT STIFLED BY FREQ CONGESTION (A LARGE AMOUNT OF HOLDING TFC). PROCEEDING OUTBND ON THE RMG 132 DEG R/INBND ATL 313 DEG R, ZTL ASKED US OUR HDG. I REPLIED OUTBND ROME (ON THE ARR), WHEREUPON THE CTLR GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN TO 350 DEGS. IN THE TURN, HE TOLD US TO CONTINUE THE RIGHT TURN TO JOIN THE ATL 313 DEG R INBND TO ATL. NO READBACK OR HEARBACK PROBS HERE, BUT THIS SITUATION COULD PROBABLY BE LABELED AN 'UNDERSTAND-BACK' PROB. THE CTLR UNDERSTOOD HIS CLRNC TO ME AND I UNDERSTOOD HIS CLRNC TO ME, BUT THEY WERE DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS. I 'UNDERSTOOD' A CLRNC TO THE ARPT, BUT COULD NOT BELIEVE HIS INTENTION OF AN OUTBND HDG WAS 180 DEGS AWAY FROM THE ARPT. HE MEANT OUTBND HDG IN THE HOLDING PATTERN--PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TURNED OR VECTORED US ONTO THE ARR COURSE FROM THE OUTBND HOLDING HDG. THE CTLR ERRED BY CLRING US TO THE ARPT WITH AN UNCLARIFIED HDG AND I CERTAINLY SHOULD HAVE INCREASED MY COMFORT LEVEL BY REQUESTING THAT CLARIFICATION.

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.