Narrative:

Flying south at 5000' with clearance to wings field as filed (vectors to abe, then direct). North of avp VOR VOR my clearance was changed to 'fly vectors to avp VOR. After south of avp VOR, intercept V29 and fly direct to pottstown VOR, then direct wings.' my readback was correct. My VOR's were tuned correctly, but with a 'from' reading from pottstown VOR. While flying to intercept V29, I may have strayed off the arwy and headed too far west. The controller questioned my intentions. I repeated my clearance. He then said I should be located south at that point, not west. I immediately turned directly to pottstown VOR uneventfully. I recognized 2 errors. The first was interpreting the from reading on my VOR. I usually convert the from to a to to make it easier. I didn't and may have been confused with the needle deflection. The second error was using pottstown VOR rather than east tx. Even though I was cleared direct pottstown vir V29, V29 actually runs through east tx VOR prior to pottstown. I should have clarified this with the controller. 2 comments: 1) the amended clearance really was no problem to deal with. I was a bit slow in proper interpretation of it. 2) although I simply complied with the controller's comment ('you should be headed south' was answered by me with the response 'turning direct pottstown now'), I was very disappointed with the controller's previous comment ('you look like you're all over the sky'). His sarcasm and demeaning manner was not helpful. In fact, it just made me more upset and uncomfortable. Would have been much better if ATC handled the matter more professionally. In the reverse situation last week (ATC forgot about me and had me fly into another controller's airspace west/O turning me), I tried to politely and kindly and professionally remind him I was out there. I called ATC when they forgot me and '...just checking in.' he knew he forgot me and so did I. But, he was not humiliated by me. He made the appropriate correction. No problem. A plea by me for the same courtesy ATC wants from us to return it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT CONFUSED BY CLRNC IS UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH ATC DIRECTIONS.

Narrative: FLYING S AT 5000' WITH CLRNC TO WINGS FIELD AS FILED (VECTORS TO ABE, THEN DIRECT). N OF AVP VOR VOR MY CLRNC WAS CHANGED TO 'FLY VECTORS TO AVP VOR. AFTER S OF AVP VOR, INTERCEPT V29 AND FLY DIRECT TO POTTSTOWN VOR, THEN DIRECT WINGS.' MY READBACK WAS CORRECT. MY VOR'S WERE TUNED CORRECTLY, BUT WITH A 'FROM' READING FROM POTTSTOWN VOR. WHILE FLYING TO INTERCEPT V29, I MAY HAVE STRAYED OFF THE ARWY AND HEADED TOO FAR W. THE CTLR QUESTIONED MY INTENTIONS. I REPEATED MY CLRNC. HE THEN SAID I SHOULD BE LOCATED S AT THAT POINT, NOT W. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED DIRECTLY TO POTTSTOWN VOR UNEVENTFULLY. I RECOGNIZED 2 ERRORS. THE FIRST WAS INTERPRETING THE FROM READING ON MY VOR. I USUALLY CONVERT THE FROM TO A TO TO MAKE IT EASIER. I DIDN'T AND MAY HAVE BEEN CONFUSED WITH THE NEEDLE DEFLECTION. THE SECOND ERROR WAS USING POTTSTOWN VOR RATHER THAN E TX. EVEN THOUGH I WAS CLRED DIRECT POTTSTOWN VIR V29, V29 ACTUALLY RUNS THROUGH E TX VOR PRIOR TO POTTSTOWN. I SHOULD HAVE CLARIFIED THIS WITH THE CTLR. 2 COMMENTS: 1) THE AMENDED CLRNC REALLY WAS NO PROB TO DEAL WITH. I WAS A BIT SLOW IN PROPER INTERP OF IT. 2) ALTHOUGH I SIMPLY COMPLIED WITH THE CTLR'S COMMENT ('YOU SHOULD BE HEADED S' WAS ANSWERED BY ME WITH THE RESPONSE 'TURNING DIRECT POTTSTOWN NOW'), I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE CTLR'S PREVIOUS COMMENT ('YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE ALL OVER THE SKY'). HIS SARCASM AND DEMEANING MANNER WAS NOT HELPFUL. IN FACT, IT JUST MADE ME MORE UPSET AND UNCOMFORTABLE. WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER IF ATC HANDLED THE MATTER MORE PROFESSIONALLY. IN THE REVERSE SITUATION LAST WK (ATC FORGOT ABOUT ME AND HAD ME FLY INTO ANOTHER CTLR'S AIRSPACE W/O TURNING ME), I TRIED TO POLITELY AND KINDLY AND PROFESSIONALLY REMIND HIM I WAS OUT THERE. I CALLED ATC WHEN THEY FORGOT ME AND '...JUST CHKING IN.' HE KNEW HE FORGOT ME AND SO DID I. BUT, HE WAS NOT HUMILIATED BY ME. HE MADE THE APPROPRIATE CORRECTION. NO PROB. A PLEA BY ME FOR THE SAME COURTESY ATC WANTS FROM US TO RETURN IT.

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.