Narrative:

We had departed smo on an empty, reposition flight to sts. Socal departure gave us a heading of 180 degrees, which they said was a 'vector for ventura.' at the time a large cell of severe WX existed to the northwest approximately 25 mi and many aircraft were deviating around it as evidenced by the very busy (and somewhat panicked) communications we were hearing. After several heading changes, and what I believe was a handoff to ZLA, we found ourselves about 7000 ft and 35 mi west of lax still on vectors. We had never requested any vector to clear WX, however, the headings we were receiving were keeping us clear of the cell as if ATC was automatically keeping everyone clear. After leaving 10000 ft, I left the frequency to make a company-required off-time report to dispatch. I advised my copilot I would be off for a moment, and he acknowledged that he had the primary radio. He was also PF on this leg. I was off for what seemed like 30 seconds and then returned to primary frequency and my copilot informed me that we were now cleared to FL230 and cleared direct vtu. We proceeded as such and a couple of mins later received a very hurried and angry call from the controller saying 'where are you going?' we replied 'direct ventura,' and he responded, 'negative, turn left immediately, you were cleared direct san marcos!' we immediately turned left direct san marcos, however, an exchange took place with the controller and us saying 'we heard ventura, check the tape' and him saying he would and wanted a phone number where he could play the tape to us and prove he was right. I gave him a number where a message could be left. As the flight progressed, almost every aircraft in the area was receiving clrncs to proceed direct ventura. That is what we both (first officer and myself) concurred we had received. A check of my phone messages after the flight revealed that no one had called. The relevant factors here are: controller workload taxed due to high volume in terminal area with WX deviations, one pilot distraction due to company-required call and the remote possibility that the one still talking to ATC (first officer) may have misunderstood which fix we were cleared to.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF AN IA JET, 1124 WESTWIND, FAILED TO FOLLOW THE CLRNC GIVEN DURING ATC VECTORS WHILE THE CAPT WAS TALKING TO THE COMPANY RESULTING IN ARTCC CTLR INTERVENTION TO ALERT THEM OF THE ACTUAL CLRNC ROUTING.

Narrative: WE HAD DEPARTED SMO ON AN EMPTY, REPOSITION FLT TO STS. SOCAL DEP GAVE US A HDG OF 180 DEGS, WHICH THEY SAID WAS A 'VECTOR FOR VENTURA.' AT THE TIME A LARGE CELL OF SEVERE WX EXISTED TO THE NW APPROX 25 MI AND MANY ACFT WERE DEVIATING AROUND IT AS EVIDENCED BY THE VERY BUSY (AND SOMEWHAT PANICKED) COMS WE WERE HEARING. AFTER SEVERAL HDG CHANGES, AND WHAT I BELIEVE WAS A HDOF TO ZLA, WE FOUND OURSELVES ABOUT 7000 FT AND 35 MI W OF LAX STILL ON VECTORS. WE HAD NEVER REQUESTED ANY VECTOR TO CLR WX, HOWEVER, THE HDGS WE WERE RECEIVING WERE KEEPING US CLR OF THE CELL AS IF ATC WAS AUTOMATICALLY KEEPING EVERYONE CLR. AFTER LEAVING 10000 FT, I LEFT THE FREQ TO MAKE A COMPANY-REQUIRED OFF-TIME RPT TO DISPATCH. I ADVISED MY COPLT I WOULD BE OFF FOR A MOMENT, AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD THE PRIMARY RADIO. HE WAS ALSO PF ON THIS LEG. I WAS OFF FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE 30 SECONDS AND THEN RETURNED TO PRIMARY FREQ AND MY COPLT INFORMED ME THAT WE WERE NOW CLRED TO FL230 AND CLRED DIRECT VTU. WE PROCEEDED AS SUCH AND A COUPLE OF MINS LATER RECEIVED A VERY HURRIED AND ANGRY CALL FROM THE CTLR SAYING 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' WE REPLIED 'DIRECT VENTURA,' AND HE RESPONDED, 'NEGATIVE, TURN L IMMEDIATELY, YOU WERE CLRED DIRECT SAN MARCOS!' WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED L DIRECT SAN MARCOS, HOWEVER, AN EXCHANGE TOOK PLACE WITH THE CTLR AND US SAYING 'WE HEARD VENTURA, CHK THE TAPE' AND HIM SAYING HE WOULD AND WANTED A PHONE NUMBER WHERE HE COULD PLAY THE TAPE TO US AND PROVE HE WAS RIGHT. I GAVE HIM A NUMBER WHERE A MESSAGE COULD BE LEFT. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED, ALMOST EVERY ACFT IN THE AREA WAS RECEIVING CLRNCS TO PROCEED DIRECT VENTURA. THAT IS WHAT WE BOTH (FO AND MYSELF) CONCURRED WE HAD RECEIVED. A CHK OF MY PHONE MESSAGES AFTER THE FLT REVEALED THAT NO ONE HAD CALLED. THE RELEVANT FACTORS HERE ARE: CTLR WORKLOAD TAXED DUE TO HIGH VOLUME IN TERMINAL AREA WITH WX DEVS, ONE PLT DISTR DUE TO COMPANY-REQUIRED CALL AND THE REMOTE POSSIBILITY THAT THE ONE STILL TALKING TO ATC (FO) MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD WHICH FIX WE WERE CLRED TO.

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.