Narrative:

We received a clearance from clearance delivery which stated 'fly runway heading for the mead 2 departure.' when cleared for takeoff, tower issued the same clearance. The first part of the mead 2 departure is to fly runway heading until 3 DME, then turn right to heading 360 degrees. That's what we did. The departure controller asked us what our clearance was as we were in our turn to 360 degrees and we repeated what the clearance delivery controller and tower controller had said. The departure controller said 'fly heading 050 degrees, radar vectors for the mead 2.' he was the first person to say the words 'radar vectors.' after receiving a second vector to 070 degrees, a different voice came over the radio and told us to call the ATC facility on the telephone when we landed. Contributing factors: NOTAM existed for the las VOR as OTS, but 2 different controllers issued clrncs which used it, plus, according to my first officer, it had a good morse code identify. Lack of the keywords 'radar vectors' in the clrncs. FAA procedure of transmitting t-e-south-T when vors are inoperative. We (my first officer and I) both knew the las VOR was notamed OTS but since 2 different controllers issued a clearance using it (the first officer checked the identify and said it was good) we figured it was back up and the NOTAM hadn't been updated, as is frequently the case. If the clearance delivery controller and tower controller said the words 'radar vectors,' neither the first officer nor I heard it. The first controller we heard say that was the departure controller. Each time we received the clearance, we read it back they way we heard it. If the controllers noticed we didn't use the words 'radar vectors,' they should have queried us. I understand that the FAA recently shifted its position and that controllers are no longer required to correct inaccurate readbacks. If just one of those controllers had done so, this report would not be necessary. Finally, it's possible the first officer heard the morse code for t-e-south-T and mistook it for the correct identify. It's also possible that the correct identify was being transmitted (I didn't monitor it myself). If he did mistake the t-e-south-T code for the identify, he certainly wouldn't be the first to have done so. I recommend that a signal of a steady tone or a constant, uninterrupted series of '......' or '--------' be transmitted during periods of VOR/TACAN maintenance. That way there would be no confusing it. When I called the las ATC facility, the gentleman I spoke to said not to worry about it, a lot of other folks have been doing the same thing. If I'm in the company of a lot of other folks, there must be an ambiguity in the clrncs/procedures associated with this VOR outage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR LJ31 DEPARTING FROM LAS RECEIVING CONFLICTING ATC INSTRUCTIONS FROM CLRNC DELIVERY AND DEP CTL.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM CLRNC DELIVERY WHICH STATED 'FLY RWY HDG FOR THE MEAD 2 DEP.' WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF, TWR ISSUED THE SAME CLRNC. THE FIRST PART OF THE MEAD 2 DEP IS TO FLY RWY HDG UNTIL 3 DME, THEN TURN R TO HDG 360 DEGS. THAT'S WHAT WE DID. THE DEP CTLR ASKED US WHAT OUR CLRNC WAS AS WE WERE IN OUR TURN TO 360 DEGS AND WE REPEATED WHAT THE CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR AND TWR CTLR HAD SAID. THE DEP CTLR SAID 'FLY HDG 050 DEGS, RADAR VECTORS FOR THE MEAD 2.' HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SAY THE WORDS 'RADAR VECTORS.' AFTER RECEIVING A SECOND VECTOR TO 070 DEGS, A DIFFERENT VOICE CAME OVER THE RADIO AND TOLD US TO CALL THE ATC FACILITY ON THE TELEPHONE WHEN WE LANDED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NOTAM EXISTED FOR THE LAS VOR AS OTS, BUT 2 DIFFERENT CTLRS ISSUED CLRNCS WHICH USED IT, PLUS, ACCORDING TO MY FO, IT HAD A GOOD MORSE CODE IDENT. LACK OF THE KEYWORDS 'RADAR VECTORS' IN THE CLRNCS. FAA PROC OF XMITTING T-E-S-T WHEN VORS ARE INOP. WE (MY FO AND I) BOTH KNEW THE LAS VOR WAS NOTAMED OTS BUT SINCE 2 DIFFERENT CTLRS ISSUED A CLRNC USING IT (THE FO CHKED THE IDENT AND SAID IT WAS GOOD) WE FIGURED IT WAS BACK UP AND THE NOTAM HADN'T BEEN UPDATED, AS IS FREQUENTLY THE CASE. IF THE CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR AND TWR CTLR SAID THE WORDS 'RADAR VECTORS,' NEITHER THE FO NOR I HEARD IT. THE FIRST CTLR WE HEARD SAY THAT WAS THE DEP CTLR. EACH TIME WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC, WE READ IT BACK THEY WAY WE HEARD IT. IF THE CTLRS NOTICED WE DIDN'T USE THE WORDS 'RADAR VECTORS,' THEY SHOULD HAVE QUERIED US. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FAA RECENTLY SHIFTED ITS POS AND THAT CTLRS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED TO CORRECT INACCURATE READBACKS. IF JUST ONE OF THOSE CTLRS HAD DONE SO, THIS RPT WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. FINALLY, IT'S POSSIBLE THE FO HEARD THE MORSE CODE FOR T-E-S-T AND MISTOOK IT FOR THE CORRECT IDENT. IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE CORRECT IDENT WAS BEING XMITTED (I DIDN'T MONITOR IT MYSELF). IF HE DID MISTAKE THE T-E-S-T CODE FOR THE IDENT, HE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TO HAVE DONE SO. I RECOMMEND THAT A SIGNAL OF A STEADY TONE OR A CONSTANT, UNINTERRUPTED SERIES OF '......' OR '--------' BE XMITTED DURING PERIODS OF VOR/TACAN MAINT. THAT WAY THERE WOULD BE NO CONFUSING IT. WHEN I CALLED THE LAS ATC FACILITY, THE GENTLEMAN I SPOKE TO SAID NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS HAVE BEEN DOING THE SAME THING. IF I'M IN THE COMPANY OF A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS, THERE MUST BE AN AMBIGUITY IN THE CLRNCS/PROCS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VOR OUTAGE.

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.