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GA small aircraft flew clearance as given across an airway that the controller thought he would intercept and follow.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 143237 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199004 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sax |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 550 flight time type : 60 |
| ASRS Report | 143293 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Deviation |
Narrative:
En route from dxr to dca on an IFR flight, with a clearance of: 'direct cmk, radar vectors sax, radar vectors, sol V403, glomo intersection, V408, vinny intersection, V93, balance direct dca.' I was given a heading west of sax of '250 degrees,' then '240 degrees to intercept...' the controller never completed the 'to intercept' and I repeated, 'heading 240 degrees.' nothing else was said until ATC came back and asked, 'are you flying V249 or are you on a heading?' I replied, 'I'm on a heading of 240 degrees.' he then said, with an angry tone of voice, 'well, you've flown way past V249, go direct sol!!' it was obvious that the controller was upset with me and disgusted from his tone of voice. I did not get into a discussion about it with him, as the frequency was fairly busy with traffic into and out of the ny TCA. If he meant for me to intercept V249, he never gave me those instructions. Also, as my clearance was 'radar vectors to sax, radar vectors to sol,' I was not expecting to fly any victor arwys until after reaching sol. When I answered his heading instruction I had waited for a while for him to complete, '240 degree heading to intercept...' then I replied, '240 degrees on the heading.' he did not correct my reply. If he was so busy that he didn't have time to give complete instructions, then we need more controllers, and certainly using a voice tone that indicates disgust and that he was angry doesn't help pilots who are trying not to make errors and fly safely in a busy TCA area.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: GA SMA FLEW CLRNC AS GIVEN ACROSS AN AIRWAY THAT THE CTLR THOUGHT HE WOULD INTERCEPT AND FOLLOW.
Narrative: ENRTE FROM DXR TO DCA ON AN IFR FLT, WITH A CLRNC OF: 'DIRECT CMK, RADAR VECTORS SAX, RADAR VECTORS, SOL V403, GLOMO INTXN, V408, VINNY INTXN, V93, BAL DIRECT DCA.' I WAS GIVEN A HDG W OF SAX OF '250 DEGS,' THEN '240 DEGS TO INTERCEPT...' THE CTLR NEVER COMPLETED THE 'TO INTERCEPT' AND I REPEATED, 'HDG 240 DEGS.' NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID UNTIL ATC CAME BACK AND ASKED, 'ARE YOU FLYING V249 OR ARE YOU ON A HDG?' I REPLIED, 'I'M ON A HDG OF 240 DEGS.' HE THEN SAID, WITH AN ANGRY TONE OF VOICE, 'WELL, YOU'VE FLOWN WAY PAST V249, GO DIRECT SOL!!' IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE CTLR WAS UPSET WITH ME AND DISGUSTED FROM HIS TONE OF VOICE. I DID NOT GET INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT WITH HIM, AS THE FREQ WAS FAIRLY BUSY WITH TFC INTO AND OUT OF THE NY TCA. IF HE MEANT FOR ME TO INTERCEPT V249, HE NEVER GAVE ME THOSE INSTRUCTIONS. ALSO, AS MY CLRNC WAS 'RADAR VECTORS TO SAX, RADAR VECTORS TO SOL,' I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO FLY ANY VICTOR ARWYS UNTIL AFTER REACHING SOL. WHEN I ANSWERED HIS HDG INSTRUCTION I HAD WAITED FOR A WHILE FOR HIM TO COMPLETE, '240 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT...' THEN I REPLIED, '240 DEGS ON THE HDG.' HE DID NOT CORRECT MY REPLY. IF HE WAS SO BUSY THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GIVE COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS, THEN WE NEED MORE CTLRS, AND CERTAINLY USING A VOICE TONE THAT INDICATES DISGUST AND THAT HE WAS ANGRY DOESN'T HELP PLTS WHO ARE TRYING NOT TO MAKE ERRORS AND FLY SAFELY IN A BUSY TCA AREA.
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.