B727 crew inbound to hou is cleared by ARTCC to a fix and hold. Prior to reaching the fix, ARTCC cle...

Attributes
ACN	417480
Time
Date	199810
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sbi
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu tracon : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent 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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 23400 flight time type : 16000
ASRS Report	417480
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On oct/xa/98 at about XA00, air carrier flight XXX approached sbi from over the gulf of mexico with holding instructions due to WX and traffic at iah. Shortly (5-8 mi) before sbi, the first officer, so and I heard ZHU clear us to 'continue with the sbi 5 arrival and descend to FL220.' at sbi I made a left turn to continue inbound on the arrival instead of a left turn to make a standard entry into the hold pattern east of the fix. We were then handed off to iah approach control on 120.05. Approach control cleared us to descend to 17000 ft, but then hesitated and asked if we were turning in the holding pattern. The first officer was unsure of the question so I answered that we had been cleared for the arrival. Approach replied that that was not our clearance and instructed us to turn to a heading of 180 degrees. After taking us out a few mi she cleared us direct to smith intersection and to cross smith at 10000 ft and 250 KTS if we were able. We assured her we were able and did so. When handing us off to the next frequency the controller thanked us for our help and nothing more was said of the misunderstanding. Though no mention of a pending violation or request to contact center or approach was made, I feel that this report should be made in an effort to clarify the situation as I understand it. Communications in this area are normally congested and when holding is in progress even worse. We are all aware of this and try to remain especially alert to communications in this area. I do not wish to fix blame for the occurrence, just notify you of another incident of misunderstanding in this congested airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW INBOUND TO HOU IS CLRED BY ARTCC TO A FIX AND HOLD. PRIOR TO REACHING THE FIX, ARTCC CLRS THE FLT TO CONTINUE THE ARR AND CHANGES FLT TO APCH CTL. THE APCH CTLR EXPECTED THE FLT TO MAKE A TURN IN HOLDING PATTERN BEFORE STARTING IN.

Narrative: ON OCT/XA/98 AT ABOUT XA00, ACR FLT XXX APCHED SBI FROM OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO WITH HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS DUE TO WX AND TFC AT IAH. SHORTLY (5-8 MI) BEFORE SBI, THE FO, SO AND I HEARD ZHU CLR US TO 'CONTINUE WITH THE SBI 5 ARR AND DSND TO FL220.' AT SBI I MADE A L TURN TO CONTINUE INBOUND ON THE ARR INSTEAD OF A L TURN TO MAKE A STANDARD ENTRY INTO THE HOLD PATTERN E OF THE FIX. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO IAH APCH CTL ON 120.05. APCH CTL CLRED US TO DSND TO 17000 FT, BUT THEN HESITATED AND ASKED IF WE WERE TURNING IN THE HOLDING PATTERN. THE FO WAS UNSURE OF THE QUESTION SO I ANSWERED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE ARR. APCH REPLIED THAT THAT WAS NOT OUR CLRNC AND INSTRUCTED US TO TURN TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS. AFTER TAKING US OUT A FEW MI SHE CLRED US DIRECT TO SMITH INTXN AND TO CROSS SMITH AT 10000 FT AND 250 KTS IF WE WERE ABLE. WE ASSURED HER WE WERE ABLE AND DID SO. WHEN HANDING US OFF TO THE NEXT FREQ THE CTLR THANKED US FOR OUR HELP AND NOTHING MORE WAS SAID OF THE MISUNDERSTANDING. THOUGH NO MENTION OF A PENDING VIOLATION OR REQUEST TO CONTACT CTR OR APCH WAS MADE, I FEEL THAT THIS RPT SHOULD BE MADE IN AN EFFORT TO CLARIFY THE SIT AS I UNDERSTAND IT. COMS IN THIS AREA ARE NORMALLY CONGESTED AND WHEN HOLDING IS IN PROGRESS EVEN WORSE. WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THIS AND TRY TO REMAIN ESPECIALLY ALERT TO COMS IN THIS AREA. I DO NOT WISH TO FIX BLAME FOR THE OCCURRENCE, JUST NOTIFY YOU OF ANOTHER INCIDENT OF MISUNDERSTANDING IN THIS CONGESTED AIRSPACE.

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.

B727 crew inbound to hou is cleared by ARTCC to a fix and hold. Prior to reaching the fix, ARTCC clears the flight to continue the arrival and changes flight to approach control. The approach controller expected the flight to make a turn in holding pattern before starting in.