Narrative:

I called for clearance to stl as follows: 'clearance delivery, company identify, ATIS information, federal aid to saint louis.' federal aid was meant to mean FAA clearance in a joking fashion. The controller misinterpreted this to mean that we were being hijacked and called the fbi and airport police. He did not question me as to make me feel that he misinterpreted me and read the clearance. Mins later police arrived at the aircraft. I didn't find out this was my fault until I got back to stl as no one was able to find out why the police were called at the time. We departed abq on schedule at XA30. I used no 'standard' phraseology to indicate nor was it my intent to indicate we had a hijacking. I was merely requesting a clearance. More coordination is needed as what indicates to a controller that a hijacking is occurring. My fault was not using standard phraseology for a request for clearance. No FAA terms, squawk codes or company policy procedures indicated that we had a problem -- purely a miscom. While the controller's intent was appreciated, he could have verified his suspicions prior to calling the fbi and police. There are appropriate transponder codes, company ACARS, etc, to convey our message, if we were having a problem. I should have used proper phraseology, however, miscoms will occur and any one of a variety of phrases could be misconstrued. The phrase federal aid to describe obtain a clearance has been a sarcastic term used for yrs in the cockpit and I thought could not be mistaken to indicate other problems. I will use absolutely standard phraseology in the future and feel bad about this misunderstanding. It was definitely not my intent to convey the meaning that the controller arrived at. If I wanted his meaning conveyed, I would have done it in an SOP fashion because of the serious implications involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR REQUESTING DEP CLRNC USES SLANG EXPRESSION. CTLR CALLS FBI AND ARPT POLICE AS HE MISINTERPRETS A HIJACKING.

Narrative: I CALLED FOR CLRNC TO STL AS FOLLOWS: 'CLRNC DELIVERY, COMPANY IDENT, ATIS INFO, FEDERAL AID TO SAINT LOUIS.' FEDERAL AID WAS MEANT TO MEAN FAA CLRNC IN A JOKING FASHION. THE CTLR MISINTERPRETED THIS TO MEAN THAT WE WERE BEING HIJACKED AND CALLED THE FBI AND ARPT POLICE. HE DID NOT QUESTION ME AS TO MAKE ME FEEL THAT HE MISINTERPRETED ME AND READ THE CLRNC. MINS LATER POLICE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT. I DIDN'T FIND OUT THIS WAS MY FAULT UNTIL I GOT BACK TO STL AS NO ONE WAS ABLE TO FIND OUT WHY THE POLICE WERE CALLED AT THE TIME. WE DEPARTED ABQ ON SCHEDULE AT XA30. I USED NO 'STANDARD' PHRASEOLOGY TO INDICATE NOR WAS IT MY INTENT TO INDICATE WE HAD A HIJACKING. I WAS MERELY REQUESTING A CLRNC. MORE COORD IS NEEDED AS WHAT INDICATES TO A CTLR THAT A HIJACKING IS OCCURRING. MY FAULT WAS NOT USING STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY FOR A REQUEST FOR CLRNC. NO FAA TERMS, SQUAWK CODES OR COMPANY POLICY PROCS INDICATED THAT WE HAD A PROB -- PURELY A MISCOM. WHILE THE CTLR'S INTENT WAS APPRECIATED, HE COULD HAVE VERIFIED HIS SUSPICIONS PRIOR TO CALLING THE FBI AND POLICE. THERE ARE APPROPRIATE XPONDER CODES, COMPANY ACARS, ETC, TO CONVEY OUR MESSAGE, IF WE WERE HAVING A PROB. I SHOULD HAVE USED PROPER PHRASEOLOGY, HOWEVER, MISCOMS WILL OCCUR AND ANY ONE OF A VARIETY OF PHRASES COULD BE MISCONSTRUED. THE PHRASE FEDERAL AID TO DESCRIBE OBTAIN A CLRNC HAS BEEN A SARCASTIC TERM USED FOR YRS IN THE COCKPIT AND I THOUGHT COULD NOT BE MISTAKEN TO INDICATE OTHER PROBS. I WILL USE ABSOLUTELY STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY IN THE FUTURE AND FEEL BAD ABOUT THIS MISUNDERSTANDING. IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT MY INTENT TO CONVEY THE MEANING THAT THE CTLR ARRIVED AT. IF I WANTED HIS MEANING CONVEYED, I WOULD HAVE DONE IT IN AN SOP FASHION BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS INVOLVED.

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.