Narrative:

We had requested direct down the line when able. Had been told would be soon. Had to wait to clear the warning areas to our right first. A few mins later, we both heard female voice say, aircraft X cleared direct snow hill. I started entering it in FMC while copilot read it back on the radio. No further comment from ATC. I executed the direct. A min or 2 later, got worried call from ZDC asking our heading, why were we approaching warning area? We said we had been cleared direct snow hill. She gave us an immediate 30 degree left turn. A min or 2 after that, she gave us direct snow hill again. We both heard the clearance, but it might have been for similar call sign or some such, or she might have given us the clearance in error. For sure, we read it back and she did not respond to that. I don't know what else could have been done to avoid this one from happening. A classic readback/hearback error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR APCHS RESTR AIRSPACE AFTER BEING CLRED DIRECT TO A DOWN LINE FIX IN CLASS A AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE HAD REQUESTED DIRECT DOWN THE LINE WHEN ABLE. HAD BEEN TOLD WOULD BE SOON. HAD TO WAIT TO CLR THE WARNING AREAS TO OUR R FIRST. A FEW MINS LATER, WE BOTH HEARD FEMALE VOICE SAY, ACFT X CLRED DIRECT SNOW HILL. I STARTED ENTERING IT IN FMC WHILE COPLT READ IT BACK ON THE RADIO. NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM ATC. I EXECUTED THE DIRECT. A MIN OR 2 LATER, GOT WORRIED CALL FROM ZDC ASKING OUR HDG, WHY WERE WE APCHING WARNING AREA? WE SAID WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT SNOW HILL. SHE GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE 30 DEG L TURN. A MIN OR 2 AFTER THAT, SHE GAVE US DIRECT SNOW HILL AGAIN. WE BOTH HEARD THE CLRNC, BUT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOR SIMILAR CALL SIGN OR SOME SUCH, OR SHE MIGHT HAVE GIVEN US THE CLRNC IN ERROR. FOR SURE, WE READ IT BACK AND SHE DID NOT RESPOND TO THAT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO AVOID THIS ONE FROM HAPPENING. A CLASSIC READBACK/HEARBACK ERROR.

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.