Narrative:

During repeated practice ILS's in IMC at bpt controller quizzed me for intentions during missed approach, I replied that I would be continuing to do ILS's. Several mins later he questioned me again and I again replied that I would be doing another ILS after the one I was on. He then assigned me to do a right turn to a heading 180 degree from the one I was on. I acknowledged the heading and my tail number and direction of turn. To the best of my recollection the controller's call for me was clear with my tail number and I acknowledged both the ILS query and the new heading with my tail number. At the time the controller told me to make the right turn he also told me to climb and maintain the altitude I was already at (2000') and I stated that I was already at 2000'. Several mins later I was queried by the controller as to my heading and replied with my current heading which was the new one he gave me. The controller replied that the assigned heading was for another airplane and gave me a new heading. I replied that I had acknowledged the previous heading and would do what he wished and stated that I was making a left turn to the new heading and began the turn. He rapidly replied that he wished a right turn to the new heading which I acknowledged and switched to making a right turn to the heading. I do not recall if the first call had given a direction of turn (the one with after the query as to what heading I was on). I may have missed it due to the long sentence used ('that call was for another plane...') no further problems were encountered in my flight and I did some more ILS's after that with no problems. As a further note several mins later the controller gave another airplane an assigned heading which was 180 degree off what he intended. The pilot questioned this and he corrected himself. In retrospect I should have questioned the original heading I was given since it made little sense in terms of getting me to the ILS. The reason I did not was that traffic was starting to pick up and I felt it could be due to traffic problems. As a side note I was on an IFR flight plan with an small aircraft type on the plan as xyz. I always called in as 'type...' numerous times in the flight (efo-bpt, ILS, return to efd) I was called 'other type'. This was by both bpt and hou controllers. This could easily lead to miscoms as there were also other types flying at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA DOING IFR APCHS AT BPT IS GIVEN STRANGE VECTORS DUE TO MISID OF ACFT BY CTLR.

Narrative: DURING REPEATED PRACTICE ILS'S IN IMC AT BPT CTLR QUIZZED ME FOR INTENTIONS DURING MISSED APCH, I REPLIED THAT I WOULD BE CONTINUING TO DO ILS'S. SEVERAL MINS LATER HE QUESTIONED ME AGAIN AND I AGAIN REPLIED THAT I WOULD BE DOING ANOTHER ILS AFTER THE ONE I WAS ON. HE THEN ASSIGNED ME TO DO A R TURN TO A HDG 180 DEG FROM THE ONE I WAS ON. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE HDG AND MY TAIL NUMBER AND DIRECTION OF TURN. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION THE CTLR'S CALL FOR ME WAS CLR WITH MY TAIL NUMBER AND I ACKNOWLEDGED BOTH THE ILS QUERY AND THE NEW HDG WITH MY TAIL NUMBER. AT THE TIME THE CTLR TOLD ME TO MAKE THE R TURN HE ALSO TOLD ME TO CLB AND MAINTAIN THE ALT I WAS ALREADY AT (2000') AND I STATED THAT I WAS ALREADY AT 2000'. SEVERAL MINS LATER I WAS QUERIED BY THE CTLR AS TO MY HDG AND REPLIED WITH MY CURRENT HDG WHICH WAS THE NEW ONE HE GAVE ME. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT THE ASSIGNED HDG WAS FOR ANOTHER AIRPLANE AND GAVE ME A NEW HDG. I REPLIED THAT I HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THE PREVIOUS HDG AND WOULD DO WHAT HE WISHED AND STATED THAT I WAS MAKING A L TURN TO THE NEW HDG AND BEGAN THE TURN. HE RAPIDLY REPLIED THAT HE WISHED A R TURN TO THE NEW HDG WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED AND SWITCHED TO MAKING A R TURN TO THE HDG. I DO NOT RECALL IF THE FIRST CALL HAD GIVEN A DIRECTION OF TURN (THE ONE WITH AFTER THE QUERY AS TO WHAT HDG I WAS ON). I MAY HAVE MISSED IT DUE TO THE LONG SENTENCE USED ('THAT CALL WAS FOR ANOTHER PLANE...') NO FURTHER PROBS WERE ENCOUNTERED IN MY FLT AND I DID SOME MORE ILS'S AFTER THAT WITH NO PROBS. AS A FURTHER NOTE SEVERAL MINS LATER THE CTLR GAVE ANOTHER AIRPLANE AN ASSIGNED HDG WHICH WAS 180 DEG OFF WHAT HE INTENDED. THE PLT QUESTIONED THIS AND HE CORRECTED HIMSELF. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE ORIGINAL HDG I WAS GIVEN SINCE IT MADE LITTLE SENSE IN TERMS OF GETTING ME TO THE ILS. THE REASON I DID NOT WAS THAT TFC WAS STARTING TO PICK UP AND I FELT IT COULD BE DUE TO TFC PROBS. AS A SIDE NOTE I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN WITH AN SMA TYPE ON THE PLAN AS XYZ. I ALWAYS CALLED IN AS 'TYPE...' NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE FLT (EFO-BPT, ILS, RETURN TO EFD) I WAS CALLED 'OTHER TYPE'. THIS WAS BY BOTH BPT AND HOU CTLRS. THIS COULD EASILY LEAD TO MISCOMS AS THERE WERE ALSO OTHER TYPES FLYING AT THE TIME.

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.