Narrative:

On jan/sun/94, my first officer and I were sent by the company to inyokern to cover a flight for an airplane grounded by a mechanical problem. This was not part of our normal schedule, and it had been several months since I had flown to or from inyokern. My first officer had never been there. Upon leaving the MOA en route back to lax we were issued the following clearance. 'Air carrier flight, cleared to lax, fly heading 170 to intercept the KIMMO1 arrival, palmdale transition, maintain 8000 ft.' given my previous experience with the situation it was perfectly clear to me that joshua approach intended for us to fly the 170 degree heading, intercept the palmdale transition (139 degree radial), and continue the arrival. However, the 170 degree heading took us to a point where we intercepted the pmd 218 degree radial at this intersection with the lhs 146 degree radial. That put us to the west of the entire transition. We were switched to bur approach. They questioned where we were going and turned us to the east to rejoin the KIMMO1 (lhs 139 degree). They asked us to state our position relative to lhs. We answered the 146 degree radial. They informed us we were off course. I informed them that joshua approach had issued to us a heading and clearance that was misleading. Bur suggested that we file this NASA report. There was no traffic conflict. There are many contributing factors leading to this incident: 1) the 170 degree heading and clearance by joshua approach was inaccurate and misleading. 2) my previous experience with the situation, combined with my first officer's lack thereof, set the stage for misinterpretation. 3) we were at the time 11 1/2 hours into a 13 1/2 scheduled duty hour shift. That included 12 legs. Our abilities to identify the possibility of this situation in advance were unquestionably affected by fatigue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC GIVEN CLRNC TO INTERCEPT KIMMO1 ARR PMD TRANSITION, OVERSHOT THE TRANSITION RADIAL OFF PMD. FLC FATIGUE MAJOR FACTOR.

Narrative: ON JAN/SUN/94, MY FO AND I WERE SENT BY THE COMPANY TO INYOKERN TO COVER A FLT FOR AN AIRPLANE GNDED BY A MECHANICAL PROB. THIS WAS NOT PART OF OUR NORMAL SCHEDULE, AND IT HAD BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS SINCE I HAD FLOWN TO OR FROM INYOKERN. MY FO HAD NEVER BEEN THERE. UPON LEAVING THE MOA ENRTE BACK TO LAX WE WERE ISSUED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC. 'ACR FLT, CLRED TO LAX, FLY HDG 170 TO INTERCEPT THE KIMMO1 ARR, PALMDALE TRANSITION, MAINTAIN 8000 FT.' GIVEN MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THE SIT IT WAS PERFECTLY CLR TO ME THAT JOSHUA APCH INTENDED FOR US TO FLY THE 170 DEG HDG, INTERCEPT THE PALMDALE TRANSITION (139 DEG RADIAL), AND CONTINUE THE ARR. HOWEVER, THE 170 DEG HDG TOOK US TO A POINT WHERE WE INTERCEPTED THE PMD 218 DEG RADIAL AT THIS INTXN WITH THE LHS 146 DEG RADIAL. THAT PUT US TO THE W OF THE ENTIRE TRANSITION. WE WERE SWITCHED TO BUR APCH. THEY QUESTIONED WHERE WE WERE GOING AND TURNED US TO THE E TO REJOIN THE KIMMO1 (LHS 139 DEG). THEY ASKED US TO STATE OUR POS RELATIVE TO LHS. WE ANSWERED THE 146 DEG RADIAL. THEY INFORMED US WE WERE OFF COURSE. I INFORMED THEM THAT JOSHUA APCH HAD ISSUED TO US A HDG AND CLRNC THAT WAS MISLEADING. BUR SUGGESTED THAT WE FILE THIS NASA RPT. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT. THERE ARE MANY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS LEADING TO THIS INCIDENT: 1) THE 170 DEG HDG AND CLRNC BY JOSHUA APCH WAS INACCURATE AND MISLEADING. 2) MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THE SIT, COMBINED WITH MY FO'S LACK THEREOF, SET THE STAGE FOR MISINTERPRETATION. 3) WE WERE AT THE TIME 11 1/2 HRS INTO A 13 1/2 SCHEDULED DUTY HR SHIFT. THAT INCLUDED 12 LEGS. OUR ABILITIES TO IDENT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS SIT IN ADVANCE WERE UNQUESTIONABLY AFFECTED BY FATIGUE.

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.