Narrative:

Received a clearance, the relative part of which is as follows: 'ATC clears small transport to rdu, runway 27. Upon reaching 800 ft turn direct CAT radar vectors white. V-1 leeah....' passing through 4800 ft or 4900 ft the following instructions are received: 'turn toward heading of XXX degrees to intercept the XXX degree radial of colts neck. Proceed to colts neck, resume normal navigation. Contact new york on frequency XXXX.' it should be pointed out that at a time when the pilot is about to level the airplane he is instructed to change headings, intercept the radial to a fix not in his clearance, and told to resume normal navigation to that fix. More importantly, the correct way to utilize the white intersection is with the cyn facility, so that colts neck's frequency would not be normally tuned in. A pilot unfamiliar with the area should primarily be concerned with stopping the climb and flying the assigned heading and turning to the assigned heading, rather than attempting to clarify the clearance with the controller. One has to believe there will be confusion about the insertion of a new fix without any clear instructions on how to get from the fix to white and as to whether or not he is expected to proceed past that fix and directly on to the white intersection. I have found that upon pointing out the problem to the controller, that he will either amend the clearance and include an outbound heading from colts neck to white or he will more usually clear the pilot directly to white. I have also discovered that if nothing is said to the contrary, the controller will inadvertently turn the aircraft to white shortly after the handoff is completed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPLAINT REF THE DEP PROC AND RADAR VECTORING TO A FIX.

Narrative: RECEIVED A CLRNC, THE RELATIVE PART OF WHICH IS AS FOLLOWS: 'ATC CLRS SMT TO RDU, RWY 27. UPON REACHING 800 FT TURN DIRECT CAT RADAR VECTORS WHITE. V-1 LEEAH....' PASSING THROUGH 4800 FT OR 4900 FT THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS ARE RECEIVED: 'TURN TOWARD HDG OF XXX DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE XXX DEG RADIAL OF COLTS NECK. PROCEED TO COLTS NECK, RESUME NORMAL NAV. CONTACT NEW YORK ON FREQ XXXX.' IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT THAT AT A TIME WHEN THE PLT IS ABOUT TO LEVEL THE AIRPLANE HE IS INSTRUCTED TO CHANGE HDGS, INTERCEPT THE RADIAL TO A FIX NOT IN HIS CLRNC, AND TOLD TO RESUME NORMAL NAV TO THAT FIX. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE CORRECT WAY TO UTILIZE THE WHITE INTXN IS WITH THE CYN FACILITY, SO THAT COLTS NECK'S FREQ WOULD NOT BE NORMALLY TUNED IN. A PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA SHOULD PRIMARILY BE CONCERNED WITH STOPPING THE CLB AND FLYING THE ASSIGNED HDG AND TURNING TO THE ASSIGNED HDG, RATHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO CLARIFY THE CLRNC WITH THE CTLR. ONE HAS TO BELIEVE THERE WILL BE CONFUSION ABOUT THE INSERTION OF A NEW FIX WITHOUT ANY CLR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO GET FROM THE FIX TO WHITE AND AS TO WHETHER OR NOT HE IS EXPECTED TO PROCEED PAST THAT FIX AND DIRECTLY ON TO THE WHITE INTXN. I HAVE FOUND THAT UPON POINTING OUT THE PROB TO THE CTLR, THAT HE WILL EITHER AMEND THE CLRNC AND INCLUDE AN OUTBOUND HDG FROM COLTS NECK TO WHITE OR HE WILL MORE USUALLY CLR THE PLT DIRECTLY TO WHITE. I HAVE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT IF NOTHING IS SAID TO THE CONTRARY, THE CTLR WILL INADVERTENTLY TURN THE ACFT TO WHITE SHORTLY AFTER THE HDOF IS COMPLETED.

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.