Narrative:

Air carrier X was a military passenger flight with approximately 430 military personnel on board, with a cabin crew of 14 and cockpit crew of 3. Our routing was atlanta, GA, to norton AFB, ca. The conflict arose after being radar vectored for an ILS runway 06 to norton. The vectors took us overhead norton, then a left turn direct petis NDB at 3200'; then words to the effect...cleared for ILS. The approach chart for norton's ILS 06 does not show any method of course reversal after passing petis NDB outbound. Next were cockpit discussions on how to reverse course. I asked the captain to (words to the effect)...tell me how he would proceed because I needed to relay that information to ATC. (Ontario approach control). After a moment, he began a left 180 degree turn. Before I could communication further to ATC, they (ATC) apparently observed this action and questioned it. I indicated (words to the effect)...we would need to make the turn in order to point ourselves toward the airport to intercept the localizer course. Next followed sharp words from ATC indicating (words to the effect)...we were to maintain our own terrain clearance and asking if, indeed, we 'had' the terrain in sight, to which I said, 'yes'. About this time, I learned from ATC that (words to the effect)...he thought we were destined for ontario and had issued a clearance for an ILS to ontario and that we did not question it. Now that we were about to intercept our final approach into norton, begin descent, complete checklists and cockpit duties, I felt I could no longer discuss the issues with him, but rather needed to concern myself with a frequency change to the tower at norton for landing clearance. I felt any further discussion could be handled after we were parked. No one in our cockpit heard any 'words to the effect' of a clearance for an ILS into ontario, so why would we question it?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X FAILED TO COMPLY WITH ATC CLRNC. PLTDEV.

Narrative: ACR X WAS A MIL PAX FLT WITH APPROX 430 MIL PERSONNEL ON BOARD, WITH A CABIN CREW OF 14 AND COCKPIT CREW OF 3. OUR RTING WAS ATLANTA, GA, TO NORTON AFB, CA. THE CONFLICT AROSE AFTER BEING RADAR VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 06 TO NORTON. THE VECTORS TOOK US OVERHEAD NORTON, THEN A L TURN DIRECT PETIS NDB AT 3200'; THEN WORDS TO THE EFFECT...CLRED FOR ILS. THE APCH CHART FOR NORTON'S ILS 06 DOES NOT SHOW ANY METHOD OF COURSE REVERSAL AFTER PASSING PETIS NDB OUTBOUND. NEXT WERE COCKPIT DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO REVERSE COURSE. I ASKED THE CAPT TO (WORDS TO THE EFFECT)...TELL ME HOW HE WOULD PROCEED BECAUSE I NEEDED TO RELAY THAT INFO TO ATC. (ONTARIO APCH CTL). AFTER A MOMENT, HE BEGAN A L 180 DEG TURN. BEFORE I COULD COM FURTHER TO ATC, THEY (ATC) APPARENTLY OBSERVED THIS ACTION AND QUESTIONED IT. I INDICATED (WORDS TO THE EFFECT)...WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE THE TURN IN ORDER TO POINT OURSELVES TOWARD THE ARPT TO INTERCEPT THE LOC COURSE. NEXT FOLLOWED SHARP WORDS FROM ATC INDICATING (WORDS TO THE EFFECT)...WE WERE TO MAINTAIN OUR OWN TERRAIN CLRNC AND ASKING IF, INDEED, WE 'HAD' THE TERRAIN IN SIGHT, TO WHICH I SAID, 'YES'. ABOUT THIS TIME, I LEARNED FROM ATC THAT (WORDS TO THE EFFECT)...HE THOUGHT WE WERE DESTINED FOR ONTARIO AND HAD ISSUED A CLRNC FOR AN ILS TO ONTARIO AND THAT WE DID NOT QUESTION IT. NOW THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO INTERCEPT OUR FINAL APCH INTO NORTON, BEGIN DSNT, COMPLETE CHKLISTS AND COCKPIT DUTIES, I FELT I COULD NO LONGER DISCUSS THE ISSUES WITH HIM, BUT RATHER NEEDED TO CONCERN MYSELF WITH A FREQ CHANGE TO THE TWR AT NORTON FOR LNDG CLRNC. I FELT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION COULD BE HANDLED AFTER WE WERE PARKED. NO ONE IN OUR COCKPIT HEARD ANY 'WORDS TO THE EFFECT' OF A CLRNC FOR AN ILS INTO ONTARIO, SO WHY WOULD WE QUESTION 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.