An air carrier B757 flight crew was assigned a vector heading at an altitude below that of the terrain on the far side of the airport and the controller apparently lost situational awareness until reminded by the flight crew that they were beyond the airport.

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Attributes
ACN	432769
Time
Date	199903
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : miq.vortac
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : svmi.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	432769
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

At approximately XA45Z, we contacted miq approach and were cleared to 2000 ft. We were given a radial to report crossing miq -- 320 degree radial. We had to ask for heading. A heading of 210 degrees was given. We then reported crossing the radial. Controller advised 'roger' and said 'continue heading 210 degrees, final approach vectors.' captain maintained heading until crossing 097 degree radial miq. Captain started right turn to avoid terrain and questioned controller. Controller became animated and gave us a right turn heading 120 degrees to intercept final approach course runway 9. The remainder of approach was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B757 FLC WAS ASSIGNED A VECTOR HDG AT AN ALT BELOW THAT OF THE TERRAIN ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE ARPT AND THE CTLR APPARENTLY LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS UNTIL REMINDED BY THE FLC THAT THEY WERE BEYOND THE ARPT.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA45Z, WE CONTACTED MIQ APCH AND WERE CLRED TO 2000 FT. WE WERE GIVEN A RADIAL TO RPT XING MIQ -- 320 DEG RADIAL. WE HAD TO ASK FOR HDG. A HDG OF 210 DEGS WAS GIVEN. WE THEN RPTED XING THE RADIAL. CTLR ADVISED 'ROGER' AND SAID 'CONTINUE HDG 210 DEGS, FINAL APCH VECTORS.' CAPT MAINTAINED HDG UNTIL XING 097 DEG RADIAL MIQ. CAPT STARTED R TURN TO AVOID TERRAIN AND QUESTIONED CTLR. CTLR BECAME ANIMATED AND GAVE US A R TURN HDG 120 DEGS TO INTERCEPT FINAL APCH COURSE RWY 9. THE REMAINDER OF APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.