Narrative:

The aircraft was outbound on V562 from drk VOR to ferer intersection with clearance to proceed via V562 to pxr. Shortly before reaching ferer, I received instructions to cross radom at 11000 ft and what I was later informed by the controller was other instructions which were partially garbled owing to either faults with the #1 communication (which was new and had scratchy radio) or poor reception due to either terrain or other xmissions or perhaps I just missed them. Initially I had a difficult time locating radom on the en route chart but did so and began a descent so as to cross the fix at the assigned altitude. I was also tracking ferer intersection with a newly installed GPS which I believed to be accurate but apparently was not quite as accurate as I believed. Just before passing ferer intersection eastbound, my attention was diverted to the GPS unit which was flagged as having an reim error which I did not fully understand at the time. I passed ferer by 2-3+ dots on the VOR indicator and as soon as I realized this, I began to correct my course to intercept V567 sbound. The controller came on frequency in a highly agitated state and informed me that I had passed ferer. He also told me that the dialog I used for that portion of the flight relating to the crossing altitude was in plain english and not in the appropriate airmen terms. He then issued what sounded like an amended clearance to track the 359 degree pxr radial inbound and asked that I repeat the clearance in aviation speak (my characterization) which I did in short clipped terms using my best voice. Shortly thereafter, I was handed off to another sector and I proceeded to airport under IFR rules with no other comments from controllers. In the future I intend to take this controller's comments to heart and use more standard abbreviations in communicating with controllers. In addition, where I am having trouble with a clearance instruction (finding radom intersection in this instance) I will be more prompt in telling the controller that I am having a hard time with the clearance and why. In addition, I allowed myself to become distraction by a secondary instrument and did not notice the fix passing in a timely manner, which will not happen again. Lastly, I understand the pressures that controllers are under in the kind of airspace I am flying in and will be more empathetic to their needs while not sacrificing the integrity or safety of my passenger.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT HAS DIFFICULTY WITH NAV ON AN IFR FLT AND REAPS THE IRE OF AIR TFC CTLR.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS OUTBOUND ON V562 FROM DRK VOR TO FERER INTXN WITH CLRNC TO PROCEED VIA V562 TO PXR. SHORTLY BEFORE REACHING FERER, I RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS RADOM AT 11000 FT AND WHAT I WAS LATER INFORMED BY THE CTLR WAS OTHER INSTRUCTIONS WHICH WERE PARTIALLY GARBLED OWING TO EITHER FAULTS WITH THE #1 COM (WHICH WAS NEW AND HAD SCRATCHY RADIO) OR POOR RECEPTION DUE TO EITHER TERRAIN OR OTHER XMISSIONS OR PERHAPS I JUST MISSED THEM. INITIALLY I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME LOCATING RADOM ON THE ENRTE CHART BUT DID SO AND BEGAN A DSCNT SO AS TO CROSS THE FIX AT THE ASSIGNED ALT. I WAS ALSO TRACKING FERER INTXN WITH A NEWLY INSTALLED GPS WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE ACCURATE BUT APPARENTLY WAS NOT QUITE AS ACCURATE AS I BELIEVED. JUST BEFORE PASSING FERER INTXN EBOUND, MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO THE GPS UNIT WHICH WAS FLAGGED AS HAVING AN REIM ERROR WHICH I DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND AT THE TIME. I PASSED FERER BY 2-3+ DOTS ON THE VOR INDICATOR AND AS SOON AS I REALIZED THIS, I BEGAN TO CORRECT MY COURSE TO INTERCEPT V567 SBOUND. THE CTLR CAME ON FREQ IN A HIGHLY AGITATED STATE AND INFORMED ME THAT I HAD PASSED FERER. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE DIALOG I USED FOR THAT PORTION OF THE FLT RELATING TO THE XING ALT WAS IN PLAIN ENGLISH AND NOT IN THE APPROPRIATE AIRMEN TERMS. HE THEN ISSUED WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN AMENDED CLRNC TO TRACK THE 359 DEG PXR RADIAL INBOUND AND ASKED THAT I REPEAT THE CLRNC IN AVIATION SPEAK (MY CHARACTERIZATION) WHICH I DID IN SHORT CLIPPED TERMS USING MY BEST VOICE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I WAS HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER SECTOR AND I PROCEEDED TO ARPT UNDER IFR RULES WITH NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM CTLRS. IN THE FUTURE I INTEND TO TAKE THIS CTLR'S COMMENTS TO HEART AND USE MORE STANDARD ABBREVIATIONS IN COMMUNICATING WITH CTLRS. IN ADDITION, WHERE I AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH A CLRNC INSTRUCTION (FINDING RADOM INTXN IN THIS INSTANCE) I WILL BE MORE PROMPT IN TELLING THE CTLR THAT I AM HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE CLRNC AND WHY. IN ADDITION, I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME DISTR BY A SECONDARY INST AND DID NOT NOTICE THE FIX PASSING IN A TIMELY MANNER, WHICH WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. LASTLY, I UNDERSTAND THE PRESSURES THAT CTLRS ARE UNDER IN THE KIND OF AIRSPACE I AM FLYING IN AND WILL BE MORE EMPATHETIC TO THEIR NEEDS WHILE NOT SACRIFICING THE INTEGRITY OR SAFETY OF MY PAX.

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.