Narrative:

Controller told us to descend to FL330 and turn to a heading of 325 degrees. We asked the controller to reconfirm his clearance of descent and turn. He told us to descend to FL330 and turn to a heading of 325 degrees. We started our descent and then began an easy right turn. The controller told us to expedite our descent. We told him we were passing FL337 for FL330 and passing 300 degrees for 325 degrees as he wanted. He told us 'that was not your clearance.' we rolled out 325 degrees and asked him what was the clearance. He said 'you were supposed to descend to FL330 first, and then turn right to 325 degrees.' both first officer and I heard the clearance the way we responded, ie, descend and turn. We said that if controller wanted 330 degrees first then he should have said descend to FL330 and then turn to 325 degrees. However, I do not think that the controller stated his clearance in a succinct manner and could have stated exactly what he wanted when we requested clarification of his clearance. The controller's action cost us 700 pounds of fuel, which put us in an undesirable fuel state. If WX at sacramento had been less than VFR, we would have had to divert for fuel. I don't think the controller considered our situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW CONFUSES TERMINOLOGY USED BY CTLR AND MAKES A TURN WHILE DSNDING S OF SLC WHEN IT WAS NOT DESIRED BY CTLR.

Narrative: CTLR TOLD US TO DSND TO FL330 AND TURN TO A HDG OF 325 DEGS. WE ASKED THE CTLR TO RECONFIRM HIS CLRNC OF DSCNT AND TURN. HE TOLD US TO DSND TO FL330 AND TURN TO A HDG OF 325 DEGS. WE STARTED OUR DSCNT AND THEN BEGAN AN EASY R TURN. THE CTLR TOLD US TO EXPEDITE OUR DSCNT. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE PASSING FL337 FOR FL330 AND PASSING 300 DEGS FOR 325 DEGS AS HE WANTED. HE TOLD US 'THAT WAS NOT YOUR CLRNC.' WE ROLLED OUT 325 DEGS AND ASKED HIM WHAT WAS THE CLRNC. HE SAID 'YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DSND TO FL330 FIRST, AND THEN TURN R TO 325 DEGS.' BOTH FO AND I HEARD THE CLRNC THE WAY WE RESPONDED, IE, DSND AND TURN. WE SAID THAT IF CTLR WANTED 330 DEGS FIRST THEN HE SHOULD HAVE SAID DSND TO FL330 AND THEN TURN TO 325 DEGS. HOWEVER, I DO NOT THINK THAT THE CTLR STATED HIS CLRNC IN A SUCCINCT MANNER AND COULD HAVE STATED EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED WHEN WE REQUESTED CLARIFICATION OF HIS CLRNC. THE CTLR'S ACTION COST US 700 LBS OF FUEL, WHICH PUT US IN AN UNDESIRABLE FUEL STATE. IF WX AT SACRAMENTO HAD BEEN LESS THAN VFR, WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO DIVERT FOR FUEL. I DON'T THINK THE CTLR CONSIDERED OUR SIT.

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.