Heading track deviation. Non adherence to ATC clearance instruction.

Attributes
ACN	318637
Time
Date	199510
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bil
State Reference	MT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 10000
ASRS Report	318637
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight was scheduled to depart spokane, wa, and arrive at billings, mt. Either spokane departure or ZSE gave us our first of several radar vectors for billings. Controller working our flight gave us minor heading changes along our route to get us to our destination. When we got into ZLC's airspace I checked in and reported our altitude. Shortly after checking in with salt lake, billings VOR became alive for navigation. I centered the needle on my gauge, turned right 10 degrees and flew to billings. Shortly afterwards the controller asked for our heading. I said '090 degrees.' the controller then asked me what my last assigned heading was, I said '080 degrees,' but we were being given radar vectors for billings and we were receiving it now and flying direct. He told us that he was unhappy with us doing that and he was going to make out a report on this matter and inform his supervisor of what happened. I believe that when I am being given radar vectors to a fix, when that fix becomes usable I could fly to that fix. The controller said that I wasn't. I also think he said that I was not allowed to change my heading in order to fly to billings without asking for his permission first. So I feel a report in the form of a NASA report was in order.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV. NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION.

Narrative: FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART SPOKANE, WA, AND ARRIVE AT BILLINGS, MT. EITHER SPOKANE DEP OR ZSE GAVE US OUR FIRST OF SEVERAL RADAR VECTORS FOR BILLINGS. CTLR WORKING OUR FLT GAVE US MINOR HDG CHANGES ALONG OUR RTE TO GET US TO OUR DEST. WHEN WE GOT INTO ZLC'S AIRSPACE I CHKED IN AND RPTED OUR ALT. SHORTLY AFTER CHKING IN WITH SALT LAKE, BILLINGS VOR BECAME ALIVE FOR NAV. I CTRED THE NEEDLE ON MY GAUGE, TURNED R 10 DEGS AND FLEW TO BILLINGS. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS THE CTLR ASKED FOR OUR HDG. I SAID '090 DEGS.' THE CTLR THEN ASKED ME WHAT MY LAST ASSIGNED HDG WAS, I SAID '080 DEGS,' BUT WE WERE BEING GIVEN RADAR VECTORS FOR BILLINGS AND WE WERE RECEIVING IT NOW AND FLYING DIRECT. HE TOLD US THAT HE WAS UNHAPPY WITH US DOING THAT AND HE WAS GOING TO MAKE OUT A RPT ON THIS MATTER AND INFORM HIS SUPVR OF WHAT HAPPENED. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN I AM BEING GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO A FIX, WHEN THAT FIX BECOMES USABLE I COULD FLY TO THAT FIX. THE CTLR SAID THAT I WASN'T. I ALSO THINK HE SAID THAT I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO CHANGE MY HDG IN ORDER TO FLY TO BILLINGS WITHOUT ASKING FOR HIS PERMISSION FIRST. SO I FEEL A RPT IN THE FORM OF A NASA RPT WAS IN ORDER.

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.