Flight crew made procedure turn when procedure turn was not authority/authorized. Pilot deviation.

Attributes
ACN	138829
Time
Date	199003
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : roc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2100 msl bound upper : 2100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : roc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 1 controller radar : 1
ASRS Report	138829
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft X was cleared for NDB 28 approach and told to contact tower on 8 mi final. Pilot acknowledged. Aircraft was observed crossing beacon and then reversed course. Pilot came on frequency and stated they were holding for descent and executing procedure turn (not authority/authorized as stated on approach plate). I asked pilot his intentions. He stated the student misunderstood the clearance aircraft was still eastbound. I then cleared the aircraft for the NDB 28 approach again in accordance with established procedure and phraseology (as before). I also cautioned the pilot on the potential for disaster had another aircraft been behind him. At the time I was vectoring an medium large transport for an ILS 22 approach to an intersecting runway. The moral of this story: read the approach plate--question the controller about your clearance before reversing course if you don't understand.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW MADE PROC TURN WHEN PROC TURN WAS NOT AUTH. PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS CLRED FOR NDB 28 APCH AND TOLD TO CONTACT TWR ON 8 MI FINAL. PLT ACKNOWLEDGED. ACFT WAS OBSERVED XING BEACON AND THEN REVERSED COURSE. PLT CAME ON FREQ AND STATED THEY WERE HOLDING FOR DSCNT AND EXECUTING PROC TURN (NOT AUTH AS STATED ON APCH PLATE). I ASKED PLT HIS INTENTIONS. HE STATED THE STUDENT MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC ACFT WAS STILL EBND. I THEN CLRED THE ACFT FOR THE NDB 28 APCH AGAIN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ESTABLISHED PROC AND PHRASEOLOGY (AS BEFORE). I ALSO CAUTIONED THE PLT ON THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER HAD ANOTHER ACFT BEEN BEHIND HIM. AT THE TIME I WAS VECTORING AN MLG FOR AN ILS 22 APCH TO AN INTERSECTING RWY. THE MORAL OF THIS STORY: READ THE APCH PLATE--QUESTION THE CTLR ABOUT YOUR CLRNC BEFORE REVERSING COURSE IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.

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