Narrative:

On a flight from N10 to jfk contacted jfk tower for clearance into class B. Was told to remain clear of class B and standby. We then proceeded north towards the williamsburg bank governor's island area to hold and await clearance into class B. Received clearance into class B and was told to enter from northwest inbound via pond. Since 'pond' route was not on helicopter route chart we misinterpreted this to mean 'park' route. We then proceeded via this route and 3 mi from gat (GA terminal) landing pad, we were told to expedite as there was a B757, on the cri approach for runway 13L and his airspeed was '240 KTS.' tower then informed us he had wanted us on the baisley pond route to hold short of the triple hangars. At no time were we aware of this clearance. It should be noted that tower was assuming a lot of ground control duties during this period and this heavy workload contributed to a loss of situational awareness both in the tower and our aircraft. There was also a severe WX hold creating an atmosphere of short tempers as evidenced by confrontations between the tower and several aircraft. The normal TCA tower frequency 125.25 for helicopters was not being utilized and had it been in use would have relieved the workload on 118.7. In conclusion I felt we erred by not questioning the routing, however, workload delegation may have helped to relieve the chance of this situation to develop. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the SK76 flight crew thought they heard 'park' instead of 'pond.' only 'park' was on the helicopter route chart which led them to believe that the controller must have said 'park.' the controller was angry over a possible conflict. The reporter was shook-up by the controller, but said that he felt that there was not a conflict -- this was an overloaded, upset controller. In fact, he states that the controller wreaked wrath, he yelled 'what are you doing?' without a call sign or identify included. The frequency became dead silent. The reporter quipped 'you must know that no one was going to confess for punishment.' oddly, without explanation, the controller suddenly became congenial, and things seemed to flow smoother. Reporter didn't know where the controller was coming from, so he filed a NASA report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SK76 FLC WAS CONFUSED BY CLRNC RTE AND FLEW WRONG RTE INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE, CAUSING A POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH A B757.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM N10 TO JFK CONTACTED JFK TWR FOR CLRNC INTO CLASS B. WAS TOLD TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AND STANDBY. WE THEN PROCEEDED N TOWARDS THE WILLIAMSBURG BANK GOVERNOR'S ISLAND AREA TO HOLD AND AWAIT CLRNC INTO CLASS B. RECEIVED CLRNC INTO CLASS B AND WAS TOLD TO ENTER FROM NW INBOUND VIA POND. SINCE 'POND' RTE WAS NOT ON HELI RTE CHART WE MISINTERPRETED THIS TO MEAN 'PARK' RTE. WE THEN PROCEEDED VIA THIS RTE AND 3 MI FROM GAT (GA TERMINAL) LNDG PAD, WE WERE TOLD TO EXPEDITE AS THERE WAS A B757, ON THE CRI APCH FOR RWY 13L AND HIS AIRSPD WAS '240 KTS.' TWR THEN INFORMED US HE HAD WANTED US ON THE BAISLEY POND RTE TO HOLD SHORT OF THE TRIPLE HANGARS. AT NO TIME WERE WE AWARE OF THIS CLRNC. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT TWR WAS ASSUMING A LOT OF GND CTL DUTIES DURING THIS PERIOD AND THIS HVY WORKLOAD CONTRIBUTED TO A LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS BOTH IN THE TWR AND OUR ACFT. THERE WAS ALSO A SEVERE WX HOLD CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE OF SHORT TEMPERS AS EVIDENCED BY CONFRONTATIONS BTWN THE TWR AND SEVERAL ACFT. THE NORMAL TCA TWR FREQ 125.25 FOR HELIS WAS NOT BEING UTILIZED AND HAD IT BEEN IN USE WOULD HAVE RELIEVED THE WORKLOAD ON 118.7. IN CONCLUSION I FELT WE ERRED BY NOT QUESTIONING THE ROUTING, HOWEVER, WORKLOAD DELEGATION MAY HAVE HELPED TO RELIEVE THE CHANCE OF THIS SIT TO DEVELOP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE SK76 FLC THOUGHT THEY HEARD 'PARK' INSTEAD OF 'POND.' ONLY 'PARK' WAS ON THE HELI RTE CHART WHICH LED THEM TO BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR MUST HAVE SAID 'PARK.' THE CTLR WAS ANGRY OVER A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. THE RPTR WAS SHOOK-UP BY THE CTLR, BUT SAID THAT HE FELT THAT THERE WAS NOT A CONFLICT -- THIS WAS AN OVERLOADED, UPSET CTLR. IN FACT, HE STATES THAT THE CTLR WREAKED WRATH, HE YELLED 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' WITHOUT A CALL SIGN OR IDENT INCLUDED. THE FREQ BECAME DEAD SILENT. THE RPTR QUIPPED 'YOU MUST KNOW THAT NO ONE WAS GOING TO CONFESS FOR PUNISHMENT.' ODDLY, WITHOUT EXPLANATION, THE CTLR SUDDENLY BECAME CONGENIAL, AND THINGS SEEMED TO FLOW SMOOTHER. RPTR DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE CTLR WAS COMING FROM, SO HE FILED A NASA RPT.

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.