Narrative:

The problem was pilot/controller misunderstanding. It was the end of a typically tiring day. An early morning show time, and 3 round trips from orh to lga, with an evening finish. Approximately 8 hours 30 mins of duty with 6+ hours of flying. 15 min turns, no breaks, no meals, just hustle, hustle. The occurrence happened as we approached orh for the last time. A king air was ahead of us, so we were held over the marker, gozzer NDB. It was a proposed 15 min hold. We entered the hold with a teardrop turn and became established inbound at 5000 ft. Gozzer is 7 DME out, we were at about 10 DME when the controller said 'cross gozzer at 4000 ft, cleared ILS runway 29' just as we had anticipated he would. We hustled down to 4000 ft and reached it by 1 DME from gozzer -- on the localizer -- the glide was 1 1/2 dots below, but rising to meet us. We were breaking out of the thin broken layer and continued the approach. Then the controller asked 'are you taking it straight in?' 'yes' I said 'confirm cleared the approach.' we replied 'cross gozzer at 4000 ft cleared the approach.' I replied, 'cleared ILS runway 29 orh -- we did cross gozzer at 4000 ft.' then he turned us over to the tower. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. But his query about taking it straight in confused me. So I called him. It turns out that he expected me to make another turn in the hold, cross gozzer at 4000 ft outbound, the descend to 3000 ft (authority/authorized once on the approach within a min of gozzer) in the hold, then capture GS and continue the approach. I do not remember if we were or were not in radar contact at this point or of it was a factor. In hindsight, I should have done what he expected. It would have been prudent, but I feel had he have said 'cross gozzer at or above 4000 ft outbound, report inbound cleared ILS runway 29' or verbiage that would have conveyed his expectation, I would not have been confused. I did what I did because I was established on the approach, cleared for the approach and sufficiently stabilized to continue it. Our telephone conversation cleared up some confusion. There were no conflicts and the controller was happy I called to discuss this with him. I feel it was a misunderstanding caused by fatigue, my expectation was different to the controller. I had never done it this way in 4 yrs of flying at orh, 'last leg almost done-itis' and a clearance that I felt did not adequately convey the controller's wishes. I obviously confused him also, as I did not do what he expected me to do. A learning experience -- if I am unsure or feel the clearance is ambiguous, I will ask for clarification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE1900 PIC MAKES A STRAIGHT IN ILS APCH TO RWY 29 FROM THE HOLDING PATTERN, XING THE LOM AT 1000 FT ABOVE PUBLISHED ALT. ORH, MA.

Narrative: THE PROB WAS PLT/CTLR MISUNDERSTANDING. IT WAS THE END OF A TYPICALLY TIRING DAY. AN EARLY MORNING SHOW TIME, AND 3 ROUND TRIPS FROM ORH TO LGA, WITH AN EVENING FINISH. APPROX 8 HRS 30 MINS OF DUTY WITH 6+ HRS OF FLYING. 15 MIN TURNS, NO BREAKS, NO MEALS, JUST HUSTLE, HUSTLE. THE OCCURRENCE HAPPENED AS WE APCHED ORH FOR THE LAST TIME. A KING AIR WAS AHEAD OF US, SO WE WERE HELD OVER THE MARKER, GOZZER NDB. IT WAS A PROPOSED 15 MIN HOLD. WE ENTERED THE HOLD WITH A TEARDROP TURN AND BECAME ESTABLISHED INBOUND AT 5000 FT. GOZZER IS 7 DME OUT, WE WERE AT ABOUT 10 DME WHEN THE CTLR SAID 'CROSS GOZZER AT 4000 FT, CLRED ILS RWY 29' JUST AS WE HAD ANTICIPATED HE WOULD. WE HUSTLED DOWN TO 4000 FT AND REACHED IT BY 1 DME FROM GOZZER -- ON THE LOC -- THE GLIDE WAS 1 1/2 DOTS BELOW, BUT RISING TO MEET US. WE WERE BREAKING OUT OF THE THIN BROKEN LAYER AND CONTINUED THE APCH. THEN THE CTLR ASKED 'ARE YOU TAKING IT STRAIGHT IN?' 'YES' I SAID 'CONFIRM CLRED THE APCH.' WE REPLIED 'CROSS GOZZER AT 4000 FT CLRED THE APCH.' I REPLIED, 'CLRED ILS RWY 29 ORH -- WE DID CROSS GOZZER AT 4000 FT.' THEN HE TURNED US OVER TO THE TWR. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. BUT HIS QUERY ABOUT TAKING IT STRAIGHT IN CONFUSED ME. SO I CALLED HIM. IT TURNS OUT THAT HE EXPECTED ME TO MAKE ANOTHER TURN IN THE HOLD, CROSS GOZZER AT 4000 FT OUTBOUND, THE DSND TO 3000 FT (AUTH ONCE ON THE APCH WITHIN A MIN OF GOZZER) IN THE HOLD, THEN CAPTURE GS AND CONTINUE THE APCH. I DO NOT REMEMBER IF WE WERE OR WERE NOT IN RADAR CONTACT AT THIS POINT OR OF IT WAS A FACTOR. IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE DONE WHAT HE EXPECTED. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT, BUT I FEEL HAD HE HAVE SAID 'CROSS GOZZER AT OR ABOVE 4000 FT OUTBOUND, RPT INBOUND CLRED ILS RWY 29' OR VERBIAGE THAT WOULD HAVE CONVEYED HIS EXPECTATION, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CONFUSED. I DID WHAT I DID BECAUSE I WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE APCH, CLRED FOR THE APCH AND SUFFICIENTLY STABILIZED TO CONTINUE IT. OUR TELEPHONE CONVERSATION CLRED UP SOME CONFUSION. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS AND THE CTLR WAS HAPPY I CALLED TO DISCUSS THIS WITH HIM. I FEEL IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING CAUSED BY FATIGUE, MY EXPECTATION WAS DIFFERENT TO THE CTLR. I HAD NEVER DONE IT THIS WAY IN 4 YRS OF FLYING AT ORH, 'LAST LEG ALMOST DONE-ITIS' AND A CLRNC THAT I FELT DID NOT ADEQUATELY CONVEY THE CTLR'S WISHES. I OBVIOUSLY CONFUSED HIM ALSO, AS I DID NOT DO WHAT HE EXPECTED ME TO DO. A LEARNING EXPERIENCE -- IF I AM UNSURE OR FEEL THE CLRNC IS AMBIGUOUS, I WILL ASK FOR CLARIFICATION.

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.