Narrative:

This incident occurred on a flight from boston logan to binghamton, ny. Boston gave us the following clearance: logan 7 departure, glyde intersection, direct binghamton. The normal filed route is the same except for after chester VOR, V270 bgm. Once outbnd with ZBW, we were given direct chester VOR. Chester VOR was then on the air. After a few mins, the VOR went off the air and we were given a heading to chester. After flying a heading for a while, the VOR was back on the air and we were navigating direct. After passing chester VOR outbnd, it went off the air again. We held a heading and tried to receive bgm VOR and could not. We then began to navigation to delancey VOR. (Delancey is almost in direct line between bgm VOR and chester VOR--offset approximately 3 NM south of a direct line course.) after getting in range of bgm VOR, we would then go direct as previously cleared. During this time we were passed to the next sector controller. After a few mins with this sector, the controller came on and said, 'I show you south of course, what is your heading?' the first officer replied we were direct delancey VOR. He then asked who gave us direct delancey, 'you're supposed to be direct binghamton.' I replied and tried to explain we were unable to receive bgm VOR and chester was off the air again. We were obviously using delancey until we could receive bgm. Controller seemed only concerned with who gave us direct delancey and then cleared us direct delancey. Both controllers were aware of chester VOR transmission problems. The next sector controller seemed upset because we were using delancey VOR, knowing full well chester VOR was off the air and bgm VOR was too distant for suitable navigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT IS GIVEN RADAR VECTORS OFF AIR, DECIDES TO IMPROVISE OWN NAVIGATION TO THE NEXT VOR, WHICH IS STILL OUT OF RECEPTION RANGE, RATHER THAN FLY THE HEADING THEY WERE GIVEN.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A FLT FROM BOSTON LOGAN TO BINGHAMTON, NY. BOSTON GAVE US THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: LOGAN 7 DEP, GLYDE INTXN, DIRECT BINGHAMTON. THE NORMAL FILED ROUTE IS THE SAME EXCEPT FOR AFTER CHESTER VOR, V270 BGM. ONCE OUTBND WITH ZBW, WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT CHESTER VOR. CHESTER VOR WAS THEN ON THE AIR. AFTER A FEW MINS, THE VOR WENT OFF THE AIR AND WE WERE GIVEN A HDG TO CHESTER. AFTER FLYING A HDG FOR A WHILE, THE VOR WAS BACK ON THE AIR AND WE WERE NAVIGATING DIRECT. AFTER PASSING CHESTER VOR OUTBND, IT WENT OFF THE AIR AGAIN. WE HELD A HDG AND TRIED TO RECEIVE BGM VOR AND COULD NOT. WE THEN BEGAN TO NAV TO DELANCEY VOR. (DELANCEY IS ALMOST IN DIRECT LINE BTWN BGM VOR AND CHESTER VOR--OFFSET APPROX 3 NM S OF A DIRECT LINE COURSE.) AFTER GETTING IN RANGE OF BGM VOR, WE WOULD THEN GO DIRECT AS PREVIOUSLY CLRED. DURING THIS TIME WE WERE PASSED TO THE NEXT SECTOR CTLR. AFTER A FEW MINS WITH THIS SECTOR, THE CTLR CAME ON AND SAID, 'I SHOW YOU S OF COURSE, WHAT IS YOUR HDG?' THE F/O REPLIED WE WERE DIRECT DELANCEY VOR. HE THEN ASKED WHO GAVE US DIRECT DELANCEY, 'YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DIRECT BINGHAMTON.' I REPLIED AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN WE WERE UNABLE TO RECEIVE BGM VOR AND CHESTER WAS OFF THE AIR AGAIN. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY USING DELANCEY UNTIL WE COULD RECEIVE BGM. CTLR SEEMED ONLY CONCERNED WITH WHO GAVE US DIRECT DELANCEY AND THEN CLRED US DIRECT DELANCEY. BOTH CTLRS WERE AWARE OF CHESTER VOR XMISSION PROBS. THE NEXT SECTOR CTLR SEEMED UPSET BECAUSE WE WERE USING DELANCEY VOR, KNOWING FULL WELL CHESTER VOR WAS OFF THE AIR AND BGM VOR WAS TOO DISTANT FOR SUITABLE NAV.

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.