MD80 crew got confusing and illogical vectors.

Attributes
ACN	412110
Time
Date	199808
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ard
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	412110
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Assigned robinal 1 into ewr. We were assigned holding at holey as published. We made our turn outbound to 238 degree heading when the captain, after calculating the fuel, calculated we did not have the fuel to hold as long as ZDC said to expect. So we told center we needed to divert to lga. Lga was picked after conferring with dispatch. We declared minimum fuel also. We were given a vector to heading 330 degrees to join the minks 1 arrival to lga. We were told to intercept inbound to yardley, which we did. Then the arrival goes out the 086 degree radial. When we got station passage, we turned to 086 degrees and ZNY controller asked us if we were going to yardley. Captain informed him we were outbound on the 086 degree radial. Controller said that we were not doing that and told us to turn to heading 360 degrees, which we did. As soon as we turned to 360 degrees, we were immediately turned back to 090 degrees. This all happened with no wings level time at 360 degrees. We started outbound on the 086 degree radial and I saw 4 DME from on the way out. We then continued on and told to switch to new york approach. After an odd vector, we asked if controller knew we were going to lga. He said that he did not, but that ewr was now open and he could get us into ewr. We proceeded to ewr and landed uneventfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW GOT CONFUSING AND ILLOGICAL VECTORS.

Narrative: ASSIGNED ROBINAL 1 INTO EWR. WE WERE ASSIGNED HOLDING AT HOLEY AS PUBLISHED. WE MADE OUR TURN OUTBOUND TO 238 DEG HDG WHEN THE CAPT, AFTER CALCULATING THE FUEL, CALCULATED WE DID NOT HAVE THE FUEL TO HOLD AS LONG AS ZDC SAID TO EXPECT. SO WE TOLD CTR WE NEEDED TO DIVERT TO LGA. LGA WAS PICKED AFTER CONFERRING WITH DISPATCH. WE DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL ALSO. WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO HDG 330 DEGS TO JOIN THE MINKS 1 ARR TO LGA. WE WERE TOLD TO INTERCEPT INBOUND TO YARDLEY, WHICH WE DID. THEN THE ARR GOES OUT THE 086 DEG RADIAL. WHEN WE GOT STATION PASSAGE, WE TURNED TO 086 DEGS AND ZNY CTLR ASKED US IF WE WERE GOING TO YARDLEY. CAPT INFORMED HIM WE WERE OUTBOUND ON THE 086 DEG RADIAL. CTLR SAID THAT WE WERE NOT DOING THAT AND TOLD US TO TURN TO HDG 360 DEGS, WHICH WE DID. AS SOON AS WE TURNED TO 360 DEGS, WE WERE IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK TO 090 DEGS. THIS ALL HAPPENED WITH NO WINGS LEVEL TIME AT 360 DEGS. WE STARTED OUTBOUND ON THE 086 DEG RADIAL AND I SAW 4 DME FROM ON THE WAY OUT. WE THEN CONTINUED ON AND TOLD TO SWITCH TO NEW YORK APCH. AFTER AN ODD VECTOR, WE ASKED IF CTLR KNEW WE WERE GOING TO LGA. HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT, BUT THAT EWR WAS NOW OPEN AND HE COULD GET US INTO EWR. WE PROCEEDED TO EWR AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.

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.