Narrative:

I was the PF during our approach to lga in new york city. WX at the time consisted of broken clouds at approximately 6000- 7000 ft with visibility of about 8-10 NM. We were on radar vectors and had just descended below the cloud layer on a heading northeast towards the statue of liberty. ATC cleared us to fly over the statue of liberty, then fly north up the hudson river. At the time I missed the part about following the hudson and thought they said to fly on a heading of north after passing over the statue. Rather than read back ATC's clearance, the first officer replied that 'we will do all of that.' I questioned her about the clearance, she stated that we were cleared to fly up the hudson river after the statue of liberty. As we crossed over ellis island I turned to a heading of magnetic north, which was about 30 degrees away to the west of the hudson. I had completely forgotten the clearance to fly up the hudson river. After about 3 mins, ATC cleared us to turn right to 070 degrees and asked if we had the hudson river in sight, to which we said 'yes.' ATC cleared us to follow the river north and switched us to the final approach controller. Upon checking in he asked us what our previous clearance had been. I responded that we had been cleared over the statue of liberty then north. We subsequently were cleared for the lda-a approach to runway 22 which was flown in VMC conditions. Once at the gate we discussed what had happened. The first officer stated she thought it was strange when I turned away from the hudson river. Since she was unfamiliar with the area, she began to doubt her belief that the hudson was in fact the river we were to follow. In any case, she didn't question me about the discrepancy between our clearance and what I was, in fact, flying. In retrospect, I believe fatigue played a major role in my clearance deviation. I had been up since XA00 and had not slept well. Other factors were the lack of a proper clearance readback by the first officer, which would have reinforced the clearance in my mind. Also, the first officer should have mentioned the discrepancy she noticed between ATC's clearance and my actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC INBOUND TO LGA RECEIVED A CLRNC TO FLY OVER THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AND THEN TO FLY OVER THE HUDSON RIVER. THE PF FORGOT TO FLY OVER THE RIVER AND THE FO DID NOT SAY ANYTHING.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF DURING OUR APCH TO LGA IN NEW YORK CITY. WX AT THE TIME CONSISTED OF BROKEN CLOUDS AT APPROX 6000- 7000 FT WITH VISIBILITY OF ABOUT 8-10 NM. WE WERE ON RADAR VECTORS AND HAD JUST DSNDED BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER ON A HDG NE TOWARDS THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. ATC CLRED US TO FLY OVER THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, THEN FLY N UP THE HUDSON RIVER. AT THE TIME I MISSED THE PART ABOUT FOLLOWING THE HUDSON AND THOUGHT THEY SAID TO FLY ON A HDG OF N AFTER PASSING OVER THE STATUE. RATHER THAN READ BACK ATC'S CLRNC, THE FO REPLIED THAT 'WE WILL DO ALL OF THAT.' I QUESTIONED HER ABOUT THE CLRNC, SHE STATED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FLY UP THE HUDSON RIVER AFTER THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. AS WE CROSSED OVER ELLIS ISLAND I TURNED TO A HDG OF MAGNETIC N, WHICH WAS ABOUT 30 DEGS AWAY TO THE W OF THE HUDSON. I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN THE CLRNC TO FLY UP THE HUDSON RIVER. AFTER ABOUT 3 MINS, ATC CLRED US TO TURN R TO 070 DEGS AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE HUDSON RIVER IN SIGHT, TO WHICH WE SAID 'YES.' ATC CLRED US TO FOLLOW THE RIVER N AND SWITCHED US TO THE FINAL APCH CTLR. UPON CHKING IN HE ASKED US WHAT OUR PREVIOUS CLRNC HAD BEEN. I RESPONDED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED OVER THE STATUE OF LIBERTY THEN N. WE SUBSEQUENTLY WERE CLRED FOR THE LDA-A APCH TO RWY 22 WHICH WAS FLOWN IN VMC CONDITIONS. ONCE AT THE GATE WE DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE FO STATED SHE THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE WHEN I TURNED AWAY FROM THE HUDSON RIVER. SINCE SHE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, SHE BEGAN TO DOUBT HER BELIEF THAT THE HUDSON WAS IN FACT THE RIVER WE WERE TO FOLLOW. IN ANY CASE, SHE DIDN'T QUESTION ME ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY BTWN OUR CLRNC AND WHAT I WAS, IN FACT, FLYING. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE FATIGUE PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN MY CLRNC DEV. I HAD BEEN UP SINCE XA00 AND HAD NOT SLEPT WELL. OTHER FACTORS WERE THE LACK OF A PROPER CLRNC READBACK BY THE FO, WHICH WOULD HAVE REINFORCED THE CLRNC IN MY MIND. ALSO, THE FO SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THE DISCREPANCY SHE NOTICED BTWN ATC'S CLRNC AND MY ACTIONS.

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.