Narrative:

Our original clearance was direct mxe. Mxe 278 degree right pensy, J48 EMI, direct gve, J75 taxi direct gve direct tpa. New york center gave us a vector near mxe which took us northwest of pensy intersection. We were level at FL230, awaiting a climb to FL350. New york center then gave us a clearance to 'fly heading 220, intercept J75.' we turned to the new heading after I read back the clearance and looked at the chart. The captain attempted to put the clearance into the FMC, and it did not make sense to him. He felt that it was an incomplete clearance since we were originally cleared via J48, and that we should be cleared to some definite fix via the new arwy. At this time, we began to cross the right for J48, our original route. The captain turned to intercept the original route, while we tried to clarify our clearance. During this time, about 3 mins (20 mi) elapsed. The controller became concerned and agitated since we were no longer on the assigned heading for the intercept. I suspect he had a potential traffic conflict developing, although he did not specify so. After clarifying the clearance, we proceeded to J75 to gve then as filed. Contributing factors included: chart congestion making it difficult to interpret the chart in the light turbulence. Frequency congestion making it hard to get a clarification of the clearance. Nonstandard phraseology, we should have been cleared to some definite fix. Suggestions: phraseology, non standard phraseology continued to be a problem on everyones part. We need to continue to emphasize it. Frequency congestion is becoming a safety of flight issue. Many times it is so busy, if a clearance is misunderstood, you could have a midair before you get clarification. (I once tried unsuccessfully to call phl ground to taxi to the gate for 45 min! Due to frequency congestion). We need more frequencys or a data man and a radar man at each stop. We need data link clrncs too.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG CAPT BECAME CONFUSED ABOUT AN AMENDED CLRNC THAT TOOK THE ACFT ACROSS THE ORIGINAL FILED TRACK.

Narrative: OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS DIRECT MXE. MXE 278 DEG R PENSY, J48 EMI, DIRECT GVE, J75 TAXI DIRECT GVE DIRECT TPA. NEW YORK CTR GAVE US A VECTOR NEAR MXE WHICH TOOK US NW OF PENSY INTXN. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL230, AWAITING A CLB TO FL350. NEW YORK CTR THEN GAVE US A CLRNC TO 'FLY HDG 220, INTERCEPT J75.' WE TURNED TO THE NEW HDG AFTER I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND LOOKED AT THE CHART. THE CAPT ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CLRNC INTO THE FMC, AND IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE TO HIM. HE FELT THAT IT WAS AN INCOMPLETE CLRNC SINCE WE WERE ORIGINALLY CLRED VIA J48, AND THAT WE SHOULD BE CLRED TO SOME DEFINITE FIX VIA THE NEW ARWY. AT THIS TIME, WE BEGAN TO CROSS THE R FOR J48, OUR ORIGINAL RTE. THE CAPT TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE ORIGINAL RTE, WHILE WE TRIED TO CLARIFY OUR CLRNC. DURING THIS TIME, ABOUT 3 MINS (20 MI) ELAPSED. THE CTLR BECAME CONCERNED AND AGITATED SINCE WE WERE NO LONGER ON THE ASSIGNED HDG FOR THE INTERCEPT. I SUSPECT HE HAD A POTENTIAL TFC CONFLICT DEVELOPING, ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT SPECIFY SO. AFTER CLARIFYING THE CLRNC, WE PROCEEDED TO J75 TO GVE THEN AS FILED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED: CHART CONGESTION MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET THE CHART IN THE LIGHT TURB. FREQ CONGESTION MAKING IT HARD TO GET A CLARIFICATION OF THE CLRNC. NONSTANDARD PHRASEOLOGY, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED TO SOME DEFINITE FIX. SUGGESTIONS: PHRASEOLOGY, NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY CONTINUED TO BE A PROB ON EVERYONES PART. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE IT. FREQ CONGESTION IS BECOMING A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE. MANY TIMES IT IS SO BUSY, IF A CLRNC IS MISUNDERSTOOD, YOU COULD HAVE A MIDAIR BEFORE YOU GET CLARIFICATION. (I ONCE TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO CALL PHL GND TO TAXI TO THE GATE FOR 45 MIN! DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION). WE NEED MORE FREQS OR A DATA MAN AND A RADAR MAN AT EACH STOP. WE NEED DATA LINK CLRNCS TOO.

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.