Narrative:

Departed sun and requested IFR clearance direct boi with VFR climb through 10000 ft to maintain 16000 ft. ATC clearance was heard as direct boi, VFR climb through 11000 ft to maintain 16000 ft, report 14000 ft. When passing through 13800 ft MSL, center reported us in radar contact, but said we had not been cleared direct boi, but as filed. I never requested, heard or read back the alleged 'as filed' by ATC. I may have missed his one time 'as filed,' but ATC missed 2 of my 'direct boi's.' so I requested to ATC, 'why don't you play back the tape?' controller then said he might have missed our readback. The first officer says he heard 'direct boi,' a good first officer! The controller was working military aircraft in an MOA south of our position and also in his sector. I would say his workload was very high! It is amazing how easy an error can occur in the system when ATC is saturated. Radar coverage in 118.05 sector is terrible, but we do have TCAS! Who investigates ATC errors?? Who does CRM for the FAA? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter says that the center was giving 30 min delay for IFR clearance so they took off VFR and contacted ZLC at about 1000 ft AGL requesting VFR climb through 10000 ft and final altitude of 16000 ft direct to boi. After getting IFR clearance, they read back direct boi, but ZLC insisted that they were cleared as filed. There was no conflict with other aircraft and reporter has not heard any more from FAA about the incident. I tried to answer his question about ATC errors. Explained ASRS mandate. Says that this sector of ZLC is often saturated with a lot of military traffic on UHF frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW AND ATC DISAGREE AS TO IFR ROUTE ISSUED. READBACK HEARBACK PROBLEM.

Narrative: DEPARTED SUN AND REQUESTED IFR CLRNC DIRECT BOI WITH VFR CLB THROUGH 10000 FT TO MAINTAIN 16000 FT. ATC CLRNC WAS HEARD AS DIRECT BOI, VFR CLB THROUGH 11000 FT TO MAINTAIN 16000 FT, RPT 14000 FT. WHEN PASSING THROUGH 13800 FT MSL, CTR RPTED US IN RADAR CONTACT, BUT SAID WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED DIRECT BOI, BUT AS FILED. I NEVER REQUESTED, HEARD OR READ BACK THE ALLEGED 'AS FILED' BY ATC. I MAY HAVE MISSED HIS ONE TIME 'AS FILED,' BUT ATC MISSED 2 OF MY 'DIRECT BOI'S.' SO I REQUESTED TO ATC, 'WHY DON'T YOU PLAY BACK THE TAPE?' CTLR THEN SAID HE MIGHT HAVE MISSED OUR READBACK. THE FO SAYS HE HEARD 'DIRECT BOI,' A GOOD FO! THE CTLR WAS WORKING MIL ACFT IN AN MOA S OF OUR POS AND ALSO IN HIS SECTOR. I WOULD SAY HIS WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH! IT IS AMAZING HOW EASY AN ERROR CAN OCCUR IN THE SYS WHEN ATC IS SATURATED. RADAR COVERAGE IN 118.05 SECTOR IS TERRIBLE, BUT WE DO HAVE TCAS! WHO INVESTIGATES ATC ERRORS?? WHO DOES CRM FOR THE FAA? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAYS THAT THE CTR WAS GIVING 30 MIN DELAY FOR IFR CLRNC SO THEY TOOK OFF VFR AND CONTACTED ZLC AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL REQUESTING VFR CLB THROUGH 10000 FT AND FINAL ALT OF 16000 FT DIRECT TO BOI. AFTER GETTING IFR CLRNC, THEY READ BACK DIRECT BOI, BUT ZLC INSISTED THAT THEY WERE CLRED AS FILED. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT AND RPTR HAS NOT HEARD ANY MORE FROM FAA ABOUT THE INCIDENT. I TRIED TO ANSWER HIS QUESTION ABOUT ATC ERRORS. EXPLAINED ASRS MANDATE. SAYS THAT THIS SECTOR OF ZLC IS OFTEN SATURATED WITH A LOT OF MIL TFC ON UHF FREQ.

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.