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Reporter believes many pilots are not aware of the difference of being cleared to or being cleared direct to a fix or location.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 426870 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199901 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bsr |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Flight Phase | cruise other 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 |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 |
| ASRS Report | 426870 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
'Cleared to' versus 'cleared direct.' we were in a holding pattern on the big sur arrival for about 1 hour yesterday, waiting to get into sfo. We first held over bsr, then over skunk. Each time we were assigned a hold, the controller said, correctly, 'cleared to (fix).' almost every company aircraft on the frequency (I countered at least 5), when issued such a clearance, asked, 'does this mean we can go direct (fix)?' each time the controller answered, correctly, that no, the aircraft was not cleared direct (fix), but should proceed to the next assigned fix via the big sur arrival routing. Apparently many people are not aware of the difference between the phrases 'cleared to' and 'cleared direct.' one is a clearance limit, the other just means to proceed directly a fix. It's an important distinction, and it happens frequently when flying internationally, at fir boundaries.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR BELIEVES MANY PLTS ARE NOT AWARE OF THE DIFFERENCE OF BEING CLRED TO OR BEING CLRED DIRECT TO A FIX OR LOCATION.
Narrative: 'CLRED TO' VERSUS 'CLRED DIRECT.' WE WERE IN A HOLDING PATTERN ON THE BIG SUR ARR FOR ABOUT 1 HR YESTERDAY, WAITING TO GET INTO SFO. WE FIRST HELD OVER BSR, THEN OVER SKUNK. EACH TIME WE WERE ASSIGNED A HOLD, THE CTLR SAID, CORRECTLY, 'CLRED TO (FIX).' ALMOST EVERY COMPANY ACFT ON THE FREQ (I COUNTERED AT LEAST 5), WHEN ISSUED SUCH A CLRNC, ASKED, 'DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN GO DIRECT (FIX)?' EACH TIME THE CTLR ANSWERED, CORRECTLY, THAT NO, THE ACFT WAS NOT CLRED DIRECT (FIX), BUT SHOULD PROCEED TO THE NEXT ASSIGNED FIX VIA THE BIG SUR ARR ROUTING. APPARENTLY MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF THE DIFFERENCE BTWN THE PHRASES 'CLRED TO' AND 'CLRED DIRECT.' ONE IS A CLRNC LIMIT, THE OTHER JUST MEANS TO PROCEED DIRECTLY A FIX. IT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION, AND IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WHEN FLYING INTERNATIONALLY, AT FIR BOUNDARIES.
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.