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B737. ATC controller issues a crossing altitude at an intersection. He then questions crew why they are not going direct to that intersection.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 402610 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199805 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sax |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny tower : bwi |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1700 |
| ASRS Report | 402610 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Flight was flight planned and 'cleared kingston V6N direct fossi intersection direct sparta (sax).' ATC cleared flight to cross 25 NM northeast of sax at 7000 ft. Crew interpreted this to mean 'while remaining on flight plan routing.' however, while proceeding to fossi ATC asked whether we were going direct sax airport. Crew replied in the negative as this was not the clearance received. ATC then cleared us direct sax. It certainly is not clear that a crossing clearance with reference to a fix represents a clearance direct to that fix. ATC should have clarified their instructions. No traffic conflicts resulted from incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737. ATC CTLR ISSUES A XING ALT AT AN INTXN. HE THEN QUESTIONS CREW WHY THEY ARE NOT GOING DIRECT TO THAT INTXN.
Narrative: FLT WAS FLT PLANNED AND 'CLRED KINGSTON V6N DIRECT FOSSI INTXN DIRECT SPARTA (SAX).' ATC CLRED FLT TO CROSS 25 NM NE OF SAX AT 7000 FT. CREW INTERPRETED THIS TO MEAN 'WHILE REMAINING ON FLT PLAN ROUTING.' HOWEVER, WHILE PROCEEDING TO FOSSI ATC ASKED WHETHER WE WERE GOING DIRECT SAX ARPT. CREW REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE AS THIS WAS NOT THE CLRNC RECEIVED. ATC THEN CLRED US DIRECT SAX. IT CERTAINLY IS NOT CLR THAT A XING CLRNC WITH REF TO A FIX REPRESENTS A CLRNC DIRECT TO THAT FIX. ATC SHOULD HAVE CLARIFIED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. NO TFC CONFLICTS RESULTED FROM INCIDENT.
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.