Narrative:

An IFR flight plan was filed and a clearance was received for a flight from stl to fnb direct. After departure from the airport and after several vectors, I was asked by departure what heading was needed and I responded '291.' he then asked if I had RNAV on board and I replied, 'no.' he then asked if had LORAN and I replied 'yes, but for VFR only.' the controller immediately became irritated and asked how I knew what heading I wanted. I replied that I had filed and received the IFR clearance and would ask for radar vectors. He immediately replied that fnb was over 400 mi away and they could not do that. I advised that I could go direct ftz and go the arwy and he replied 'no, I will advise the next sector.' some mins later he gave me a frequency change which I could not understand and I attempted to make radio contact with him for approximately 2 mins (calling several times) and he would not answer. I then looked at the en route chart and got the frequency sector (kc), called them and they advised to use my LORAN. The problems are thus: 1) I have been filing and receiving this type of clearance for yrs. I heard an airliner receive such a clearance from lbf to den. 2) I was honest with my response with the controller re: the LORAN status. He immediately assumed that I was using it for for navigation when in fact I had plotted, prior to departure, an approximately course needed from the area. 3) the amount of stress the controller created when he started interrogating me was not needed in keeping control of the aircraft. 4) the next sector told me to use the LORAN. Solution: if any controller suspects that a violation has occurred, do not interrogate the pilot because the amount of stress crated. Also the stress does not just stop there as it has a snowballing effect. Add to what the controller done to me plus he would not check to make sure that I had received the next proper radio frequency created a dangers stress/control problem within the cockpit. I did have my VFR LORAN on but it was tuned to my departure airport in case of an emergency that I would have to go back.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION ON NAVIGATIONAL EQUIPMENT ON BOARD AN IFR SMA IS QUESTIONED BY ATC CAUSING STRESS TO PLT.

Narrative: AN IFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED AND A CLRNC WAS RECEIVED FOR A FLT FROM STL TO FNB DIRECT. AFTER DEP FROM THE ARPT AND AFTER SEVERAL VECTORS, I WAS ASKED BY DEP WHAT HDG WAS NEEDED AND I RESPONDED '291.' HE THEN ASKED IF I HAD RNAV ON BOARD AND I REPLIED, 'NO.' HE THEN ASKED IF HAD LORAN AND I REPLIED 'YES, BUT FOR VFR ONLY.' THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY BECAME IRRITATED AND ASKED HOW I KNEW WHAT HDG I WANTED. I REPLIED THAT I HAD FILED AND RECEIVED THE IFR CLRNC AND WOULD ASK FOR RADAR VECTORS. HE IMMEDIATELY REPLIED THAT FNB WAS OVER 400 MI AWAY AND THEY COULD NOT DO THAT. I ADVISED THAT I COULD GO DIRECT FTZ AND GO THE ARWY AND HE REPLIED 'NO, I WILL ADVISE THE NEXT SECTOR.' SOME MINS LATER HE GAVE ME A FREQ CHANGE WHICH I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND AND I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH HIM FOR APPROX 2 MINS (CALLING SEVERAL TIMES) AND HE WOULD NOT ANSWER. I THEN LOOKED AT THE ENRTE CHART AND GOT THE FREQ SECTOR (KC), CALLED THEM AND THEY ADVISED TO USE MY LORAN. THE PROBS ARE THUS: 1) I HAVE BEEN FILING AND RECEIVING THIS TYPE OF CLRNC FOR YRS. I HEARD AN AIRLINER RECEIVE SUCH A CLRNC FROM LBF TO DEN. 2) I WAS HONEST WITH MY RESPONSE WITH THE CTLR RE: THE LORAN STATUS. HE IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED THAT I WAS USING IT FOR FOR NAV WHEN IN FACT I HAD PLOTTED, PRIOR TO DEP, AN APPROX COURSE NEEDED FROM THE AREA. 3) THE AMOUNT OF STRESS THE CTLR CREATED WHEN HE STARTED INTERROGATING ME WAS NOT NEEDED IN KEEPING CTL OF THE ACFT. 4) THE NEXT SECTOR TOLD ME TO USE THE LORAN. SOLUTION: IF ANY CTLR SUSPECTS THAT A VIOLATION HAS OCCURRED, DO NOT INTERROGATE THE PLT BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF STRESS CRATED. ALSO THE STRESS DOES NOT JUST STOP THERE AS IT HAS A SNOWBALLING EFFECT. ADD TO WHAT THE CTLR DONE TO ME PLUS HE WOULD NOT CHK TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD RECEIVED THE NEXT PROPER RADIO FREQ CREATED A DANGERS STRESS/CTL PROB WITHIN THE COCKPIT. I DID HAVE MY VFR LORAN ON BUT IT WAS TUNED TO MY DEP ARPT IN CASE OF AN EMER THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK.

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.