Narrative:

On a late night scheduled flight from gtr to aex, operated as air carrier X. Confusion about our clearance from ZME caused a deviation from our assigned clearance. Our normal flight plan is filed gtr direct igb V278 sqs direct hez direct aex. Since a departure from gtr requires backtracking to get to igb, it is a common practice to remain on runway heading to clear the gtr traffic pattern, at which point we are generally in radar contact, and the controller assigns direct to a fix further along the route. On this occasion, our clearance from gtr read 'cleared as requested.' after departure, the captain called ZME and informed them we were climbing through 1000 ft on runway heading. The single word response of 'why?' was heard. The captain asked for a repeat, and the answer came 'cleared to alexandria on course.' as we generally get direct to aex this late at night, we turned to a heading of 240 degrees, which the captain told center. After proceeding for perhaps 30 seconds, center announced radar contact, asked us why we were where we were, and how we expected a 240 degree heading to take us to igb. The captain said he had misunderstood, thinking we were cleared direct to aex. The controller proceeded to lecture us on the rules of IFR departures, then gave us a phone number for ZME to clarify our departures from gtr. We were then cleared direct to aex, as we had initially expected. The problem was a clear lack of understanding between what was said and what we perceived. While the controller never used the word 'direct,' nor did she correct us when we stated we were turning to 240 degrees, as gtr is southwest of igb, she must have known that this heading would not take us there. Some sort of standard departure heading, as used by other airports without terminal radar coverage, would be very helpful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E120 FLC CLB ON EXPECTED DEP CLRNC AND ARE CHALLENGED BY ZME CTLR.

Narrative: ON A LATE NIGHT SCHEDULED FLT FROM GTR TO AEX, OPERATED AS ACR X. CONFUSION ABOUT OUR CLRNC FROM ZME CAUSED A DEV FROM OUR ASSIGNED CLRNC. OUR NORMAL FLT PLAN IS FILED GTR DIRECT IGB V278 SQS DIRECT HEZ DIRECT AEX. SINCE A DEP FROM GTR REQUIRES BACKTRACKING TO GET TO IGB, IT IS A COMMON PRACTICE TO REMAIN ON RWY HDG TO CLR THE GTR TFC PATTERN, AT WHICH POINT WE ARE GENERALLY IN RADAR CONTACT, AND THE CTLR ASSIGNS DIRECT TO A FIX FURTHER ALONG THE RTE. ON THIS OCCASION, OUR CLRNC FROM GTR READ 'CLRED AS REQUESTED.' AFTER DEP, THE CAPT CALLED ZME AND INFORMED THEM WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 1000 FT ON RWY HDG. THE SINGLE WORD RESPONSE OF 'WHY?' WAS HEARD. THE CAPT ASKED FOR A REPEAT, AND THE ANSWER CAME 'CLRED TO ALEXANDRIA ON COURSE.' AS WE GENERALLY GET DIRECT TO AEX THIS LATE AT NIGHT, WE TURNED TO A HDG OF 240 DEGS, WHICH THE CAPT TOLD CTR. AFTER PROCEEDING FOR PERHAPS 30 SECONDS, CTR ANNOUNCED RADAR CONTACT, ASKED US WHY WE WERE WHERE WE WERE, AND HOW WE EXPECTED A 240 DEG HDG TO TAKE US TO IGB. THE CAPT SAID HE HAD MISUNDERSTOOD, THINKING WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO AEX. THE CTLR PROCEEDED TO LECTURE US ON THE RULES OF IFR DEPS, THEN GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER FOR ZME TO CLARIFY OUR DEPS FROM GTR. WE WERE THEN CLRED DIRECT TO AEX, AS WE HAD INITIALLY EXPECTED. THE PROB WAS A CLR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING BTWN WHAT WAS SAID AND WHAT WE PERCEIVED. WHILE THE CTLR NEVER USED THE WORD 'DIRECT,' NOR DID SHE CORRECT US WHEN WE STATED WE WERE TURNING TO 240 DEGS, AS GTR IS SW OF IGB, SHE MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT THIS HDG WOULD NOT TAKE US THERE. SOME SORT OF STANDARD DEP HDG, AS USED BY OTHER ARPTS WITHOUT TERMINAL RADAR COVERAGE, WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

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.